


Tainted Purpose

by Barenzo



Category: Avengers, Avengers (Comics), Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Adventures: Avengers, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, F/M, Fantasy, Humor, Multi, Other, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-01-05 21:22:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 87,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12197673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barenzo/pseuds/Barenzo
Summary: The Avengers find themselves teaming up with two unlikely allies Alana and Phoenix, to protect the earth from being destroyed by a power Hydra believed they could control. Only it, was controlling them.  (Avengers Love story) ( I own nothing but OC's and Plot. All other rights belong to Marvel and Disney)





	1. She

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected guest arrives at the Avengers tower.

She was very impressed. It hadn't taken Director Fury long to put the whole facility into lock down after her untimely arrival. She made a mental note to pat herself on the back for getting the almighty saviors of earth into a tiny mishap, even if it was for a short while. Looking down to her wrists she pulled lightly on the Vibranium chains around her arms, the rustling sound of clanking chains a welcoming sound to her ears.  She chuckled, burying the feelings of irritation while she thought of her own misfortune. Perhaps it would have been kinder to ask for help the normal way, but there was just something about hearing the Director of the most prestigious originization completely dumbfounded, that made her rash decision worth every second she wasted sitting in silence.   

She lifted her head to stare into the glass just ahead of the table she sat behind .The reflection of her own body staring back at her. She smiled, appreciating how well the dim security lights above her illuminated her bright emerald eyes. Her lips were stained blood red, somehow managing to shame even the reddest rose, while nature itself gave a little shine to the top and bottom of her lips. Her hair was white like the freshest snow, untouched and full. It hung just below her chest, no curl in sight.  Her smooth caramel skin shined brightly against the glass, the room around her out of focus, leaving the spotlight on her and her alone.   

 _"_ _So_ _let me see if I got this right. You're telling me you have no idea how she got in here."_ The Director questioned, clearly talking to a freshly hired guard.   

Her interest peaked. Taking her own narcissistic thoughts out of alignment as she used her advanced hearing to listen in on the conversation that transpired just beyond the glass.  

" _N-...no sir."_  The guard answered nervously.  _"We were doing our scheduled rounds and when Officer Hendrix reached this room there she was just sitting there."_  

 _"Well someone must have missed something if a random woman is sitting in our interrogation room that we did not clear."_  Fury noted, his voice stern and Disciplined. She heard him pause, the swift sound of carpet moving beneath his feet a clear indication to her that he was facing in her direction.  _"What does the footage show?"_  

The guard paused, much to Fury's dismay. After a very nervous inhale he responded quietly.  _"Nothing."_     

 _"Excuse me?"_   Fury asked, each syllable spoken with a hint of disbelief. 

 _"Nothing Sir."_  He spoke again.  _"We rewound the footage and everything seems to just time out for a split second, then it starts up again and she's just there."_  

 _"Someone could have deactivated the cameras, giving her a_ _cl_ _ear_ _window into the facility._ _"_  It was that voice. The voice of pure leadership and liberty echoing through her ears. There was no doubt the man currently speaking was Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America. Even in a state of pure confusion his voice called upon all the strings of hope that hanged freely in any direction. She did not know whether to swoon or vomit from the constant positive aura that surrounded him.  

The guard's heart rate rose quickly, his breathing slightly uneven. She took a breath, anxiously waiting for the man to say what she knew was coming.   * _Here comes the inevitable bad news in Three..._ _Two..One_ _... *_   

 _"I don't think so sir_ _"_  The guard responded.   

 _*Boom*._  She spoke in her mind, grinning as she reinvested herself in the conversation.   

 _"What so you're telling us It blinked and she was right there? I would say highly unlikely but by the way our lives have gone over the past few years, I'm inclined to believe you"._   The almighty Tony Stark's voice was easy to spot from the get go. There was not one man above ground that didn't know his name or recognize his voice. It was quick and confident, the slight sarcasm held its own type of intellect that only a complete fool could overlook.   

 _"It's true Mr._ _Stark_ _I swear."_  The guard spoke respectively.  _"Agent Romanoff left to review all the camera's right after I gave my_ _state_ _ment_ _._ _"_   

 _" And It checks out_." The woman she deduced to be Natasha spoke, her sentence precise and to the point. " _The room was clearly empty, and in milliseconds she's sitting in that chair, there is no evidence of tampering, hacking or damage to any system on base._ "   

"Well how did she get past all of those other cameras, and how did she do it that fast?" Steve Asked.  

 _*Skill.*_ She chimed in her mind. 

  _"Maybe it was an inside job of some kind."_   

She could not lie; the softness of the voice took her off guard. When imagining Bruce Banner speaking, she imagined more pain, rage, and toughness. Not this calm and complacent teddy bear scientist. She tilted her head to the side, making a mental note to probe him with questions later.   

 _"Not likely, all footage shows all men are accounted for before and after each time frame. They're all clean."_ Natasha reported.   

 _"What do we think?"_ Fury asked, seemingly open to any ideas. _"She has some kind of super speed ability?"_  

 _"Let's really think about this."_ Tony began. _"Say she did run here, of all places to run she chose the interrogation room? There's no tampering of any kind, she let the guys cuff her and to top it off she hasn't hurt anyone? Simply put she put herself there, teleportation would be my guess.....Also, is any one gonna comment on how extremely bright her hair is?"_

 _"We're going through the last of the networks to check and see if the woman is on file."_    

 _*I knew_ _it. *_ She thought to herself. The voice rang like nails on a chalk board through her delicate ears. The memories of torment and powerlessness sweeping her mind. It just wasn't fair. She had hoped T'challa would have kept him iced up for a while longer, saving her ounces of unnecessary trouble, yet here he was. The stick that would no doubt soon be stuck in her side.  She sighed again, her feelings of misfortune returning. * _Bucky Barnes_ _is actually out of the_ _W_ _akandian_ _pits._ _I'm surprised, though_ _I'm_ _sure_ _fire hair_ _will_ _take great joy in knowing he is still alive.... *_   

 _"She has no file in any database. No Prints, no pictures. Either she has never been anywhere or she is not from here."_  Bucky spoke quietly.  

 Steve hummed in thought. " _That would explain how she got in here with such ease. Maybe we have not dealt with her kind before."_   

 _"That's a good thought."_ Fury agreed. _"Has she even spoken at all?"_

 _"She did Sir."_ The guard spoke. _"She said she has business with Thor and Odin of Asgard, but she also told us she needed to talk to a woman that was apparently with him."_   

Natasha scoffed at his response. " _Did she give a name?"_

 _"No m'am."_ He answered. _"She just said she needs the woman with fire hair."_  

 _" Alright....Thank you we know the rest. That's all for now, return to your post."_ There was a deep sigh that spilled through his lips. She could feel his eyes staring at her through the glass, his feet refusing to move from his current stance.  

_"Natasha, contact Asgard and alert them that we have a visitor asking for Thor and his father, give him a full description of our mystery woman, maybe he can sort this mess out. Meanwhile Steve and Bucky will go in and try to get some information of their own.  You both will remain guarded at all times."_

_"Are you absolutely sure you just want to send them in there Fury? She looks like she could be hostile."_ Bruce cautioned  

*" _This coming from the man who gets mean and green when he pricks his finger? Ha,_ _Riiight_ _it's cool you_ _totally_ _have room to judge hostile_."* She thought, her eyes rolling in annoyance.  

Steve sighed, his feet shifting to fully face his friend. _"You up for this Buck?"_    

Bucky nodded slowly A small form of confidence reading in his voice. _"I already told you Steve, I'm feel fine. The doctors agreed that I can come back to work."_  

 _"I just don't want any unneeded pressure on you."_ Steve smiled in concern for his friend.  

 _"I'm not pressured Steve. I'm healthy and I want to work."_ Bucky pressed. She could hear the way his voice pleaded for permission.  It trembled and lowered with each word.  Even with such short words she could hear how much Bucky wanted to be a part of this. Now it was up to Steve to determine if her thorn would take part.  

She smiled with delight as the two men carried their feet to the exit of the sound room. Their feet slowly made their way to the guarded door resting just to the left of her. The door clicked and rattled, the smooth metal surface extending outward toward her position. The friends of old walked in, quickly taking a spot in front of the interrogation table. She sighed in relief. It was finally time.


	2. Interrogates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve And Bucky Interrogate their mysterious guest, hoping to find answers about her unexpected arrival.

"I assume you know we have some questions for you?" Steve quested.  The way he spoke to her made her feel like an undisciplined child. She could have felt insulted, but then again, seeing him this close with so much confidence and hope gave her a small thrill. Or maybe it was the fact his spandex was tight in all the right places. She would get to that later. She liked his curiosity, and she admired his bravery. Not that this is something she felt she ever needed to admit.  

She scoffed, a small smirk lifting onto her lips as she answered, blocking her own thoughts from herself.  "I Should have known you would have been this polite, it just dawned on me that I am indeed talking to the men who lived in a time where chivalry was alive and flourishing."  

She sighed, her eyes wondering between both men as she continued.  "My name is Phoenix, you can call me Phe for short." She spoke, her attempt to show off slightly working. Her voice was classy, the sound of authority matching Steves with ease. She wanted to show she was not afraid, which she wasn’t.  

"Okay, Phoenix-"  

"I prefer Phe." She interrupted smiling at the man. "Phoeinx is so official, that’s not really my style." She smiled.  

"Okay." He nodded, crossing his arms against his chest as he spoke. " _Phe_ , let's start with the obvious question.... How did you get in here?" 

"I _put_ myself here spandex." The white-haired woman spoke with a wink, her tone confident and defiant. "As amusing as this is, I'm not here for either of you, I am here for Thor and my counterpart."  

"What does Thor and this counterpart have that you want?" Steve asked.  

"Something you can't provide." 

"That's not very specific."  

"Very good Steve, you are as smart as you are handsome." She chuckled, laughing at the amusement she brought herself.  

"What is this girls name?" Bucky questioned, looking down to her. Her eyes wondered over to meet with the Winter Soldier. She could have ignored his question completely, in hind sight that is exactly what she wanted to do. But she knew that could awaken more questions from the dynamic duo, making this so -called interrogation last for all eternity.  

Phe sighed clicking her tongue between her teeth. "Her name is Alana Deltora, and  _She_  is going to be the one to save all our asses and end something that could have ended.....that  _should_  have ended long ago."  

"And what exactly is Alana helping to save us from?" Steve pushed.  

She chuckled while lifting her elbows to rest on the table. The chains rattled, the metal clanking against one another rapidly.  She made a fist, resting her chin comfortably between her knuckles. "Look the only reason I am here captain planet, the reason why I  _let_ you guys cuff me, is because this is the fastest way to get to Alana." She stopped speaking momentarily, deciding to just take the direct approach. "I did not teleport myself into this room, listen to you guys bicker for  _hours_  on something you could have just asked me yourselves to  _not_  get what I want."  

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Steve commented, a look of sight confusion on his face. 

"You clearly don't know what I mean since you have done nothing but reiterate my sentences to stall and get more information. " She called out to the war hero. She dipped to her left, peeking just beyond Steves hip to look at the one- sided glass in front of her. "And by the way Mr. Banner, I do not look hostile, I look very  _rich._ I would appreciate you giving me the credit I deserve.  

"You're pretty slick in the mouth for someone in chains." Bucky called out to her, his tone slightly harsh.  

Phe turned to meet eyes with him once again, chuckling loudly she eyed him in childlike amusement. "Awe, are you supposed to be the bad cop?" She smiled, mentally giving herself a high five for her own insult. "I  _let_ them cuff me Einstein. Did you pay attention to what I have said at all? It was even mentioned during the meeting in there."  

"So you have advanced hearing then?" Steve pressed  

"I hear when I want to."  

"What were you listening for."  

"Amusement."  

"We don't have to keep going in circles if you just tell us what we need to know." Steve noted to her.  

 _What the hell does he_ _think_ _I've been doing all this time?_  She thought to herself. She spoke up, her voice irritated. "I have been nothing but truthful since you began questioning me. I told you what you needed to know and yet, we still have come to no compromise.  You're the ones who keep asking pointless questions, making us go in this so-called "circle". She quoted.    

Phe sighed shaking her head a her own words. "Look, I don't owe you  _shit_ buddy. I came to this place as a last. resort." She emphasized. "There was _no._ _Way._  I was going up to Asguard to talk to Odin by myself. He is so protective of that kiss ass with red hair you would think he made her."   

"We are not gonna keep-" 

"Spandex... _Steve_ , let me save you some time. There is guard that is about to knock on that door and tell you Thor will be here shortly with my counterpart." Phe interrupted pointing to the door.  "Riiight. About. Now." 

The knock echoed through the room. She smiled brightly at the two men as she shooed them away from what she now considered to be her table. "Go on. Answer it, you should let him come in so I can hear him say it. If you don't I'll just listen in anyway."  

She watched the men exchange looks, their minds contemplating what to do.  Steve sighed, walking over to the door to invite the guard in to give his report, much to the guards' surprise.  

"Hi nice to see you again." Phe spoke poking at the guard. "It's Hendrix isn't it? Is this about me?" Phe asked him, her back straight with anticipation as she crossed her arms and smiled.  

"What is it ensign?" Steve asked taking the guards attention from her.  

"Agent Romanoff contacted Asguard and there is in fact a woman under Odins protection, her name is Alana Deltora."  

"Told ya." She spoke. Her smile still showing.  

"After she gave the description of the woman in our custody Thor agreed to come immediately with Alana herself."  

"Thank. God." Phe called out. "I told you I was telling the truth."  

"Just because you said it doesn't make it true, this could have been a threat or some kind of trap m'am, we had to take precautions."  

"How in the world would I be trapping you? She is under Odin's care Steve, and she's best friends with Thor, a man  _you_ work with. How much of a threat could she be?" She called out rattling the chains of her cuffs once again to lay her hands on the table.  

The Guard cleared his throat "H-He only had one request, actually, according to agent Romanoff. It was Alana herself who asked for this." 

"What was the request?" Bucky asked.  

"Thatshe be there when They land." The Guard reported, nodding toward Phoenix.  

"Oh what?!" She spoke whining. "You mean I have to move?"


	3. The Red Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana Deltora, who currently resides on Asguard prepares to leave her temporary home for earth

 

 

 **Asguard   **  
 

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this Alana? You are not obligated to go back until you feel you are ready, you know that right?" The God of thunder expressed with concern  

"For the hundredth time Thor I know, and yes, I'm sure." Alana spoke trying to reassure him. She turned her head to face her friend as her body sat at the edge of her bed. "And besides, this isn't about obligation, if it was I would not be leaving."   

The Red headed alien could not help but smile at the concern on her longtime friend's face. Thor had been the most supportive friend she could have ever asked for in what she would describe as a very tough few years. The day Odin took her into his care, it was by nature that they connected almost immediately. They shared almost everything with each other; Secrets, feelings, even meals, which in their case really showed how much they cared for one another.  Odin himself even worked his way into becoming her second father.  He Sheltered her, guided her, and carried her through years of intense and grueling training she never could have done on her own. All the memories and friendships that were built on Asgardian soil was something she would forever describe as irreplaceable. It's funny, she had become so spoiled with complacency that she never considered the notion that one day she would have to leave.   

  She arose, fixing her short sleeved red belly shirt and matching leather pants as she moved away from the bed that would remain vacant from her presence. The elaborately carved four post silver canopy bed boldly supported the metal canopy's delicate carvings of Asgardian design, adding decorative touch to the head and foot board.  The detailed moldings and intricate carvings defined luxurious style, complimenting the coordinating gold sheets and golden furniture around the room.  

"Isn't the view amazing?" Alana asked, her black boots clicking against the polished gold-marble tiles on the floor.  She passed through the glass door that lead out to the balcony giving her a clear view of the entire city of Asguard. "When Odin gave me this room I was in complete awe that first night. I'm in awe any time I come out here really. I never had the chance to overlook an entire city before. Take the time to see its beauty, its uniqueness.  Nor had I had ever seen stars this close before. They're so much closer than the ones of Earth or Alfheim. Since then I've seen nothing but beautiful mountains, thriving cities, flourishing gardens.....After all these years I-...I admit it kinda hurts having to leave it.   

"You speak of temporary feelings." Odin spoke, walking into the room to accompany the duo. "You have a responsibility, one you cannot outrun. If fear is what drives you, it's fear that will destroy you." "   

Alana smiled as she turned to face the leader of Asgard. She Carried herself off the balcony, reaching out to place her hands in his extended palms. "Couldn't let me go without the lecture could you old man.  One would think you secretly want to get rid of me after the Loki incident."   

"What happened with Loki has long past, I hold no blame to your name." Odin spoke, his voice full of wisdom and sincerity.  

If it was one thing Alana was certain of it's that no matter how long time passed, Loki would  _always_  be her one guilty pleasure. Why? Because he was familiar. Often she laid awake wondering about the consequences and repercussions of her misplaced love affair, she wondered if things had been different what would her future have looked like? She knew he had developed feelings for her, perhaps he still does wherever he may be. Though She was sure the trickster would deny any attachment to her now, no matter how much it may have affected her.   

"I think if anyone could have changed him it would have been you." Thor nodded toward her. "The lengths he went to just for you -"  

Alana scoffed shaking her head in embarrassment. The detailed memories of a time long gone flooding her mind.    

"No really Alana I mean it. There is no one I know that he would intentionally stick up for without it benefiting himself, you were the only exception."   

"Stop." Alana spoke, holding her hand up to him. "I mean I looked past  _a lot_  of his dark deeds, but he is still not here and to top it all off he is still.. _.That Loki._ " She explained not accepting the praise. "This is technically my last night here, let's not ruin it by opening up old wounds."   

Thor nodded giving her a smile. He took a couple steps over to her, grabbing her hands so he could pull her up-off the bed and into a hug. "You're right I'm sorry. But hey listen, there is no Law saying you cannot return."  

"Asguard shall accept you whenever you seek an entry ." Odin began with a kingly nod.  "Though tis foolish to ignore your real home-" 

"Come on Odin not this again. I have explained this may times, you know I can't go home _....._ _not now._ " She sighed, holding on to Thor's arm as the hug disbanded. "If they find out what Phe and I did it would be the end for both of us."  

"They must know it wasn't your doing." Thor spoke in her defense.   

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter, I knew what she was doing and I allowed it. And even if she does have the biggest ego and an even worse mouth, Phe is wiser than many believe. If not for her, I would never have known to come to either of you."   

A small knock at the door broke the chain of concentration in the room. Attention shifted to the door as Sif, only one of the fierce warriors three entered the room, her armor shielding her body.   

"I'm sorry to interrupt your grace." Sif began, crossing her arms and bowing in respect. "The horses have arrived to take Alana and Thor to the rainbow bridge. Alana's things have also already been transferred to earth, everything will be waiting for you there."   

"Thank you, Sif." Alana smiled.   

Sif smiled back in response, nodding toward the silver-eyed female. "If you don't come back to visit me you know I'll be upset."   

"Of course I do, You'd practically go insane not seeing me ever again." She smirked.   

"That I would." She laughed nodding again in respect as she took her leave.   

Alana sighed, her eyes never leaving the door. "You know Frigga told me a day like this would come. I wish she could be here so I could thank her for everything she did for me. She was always there to keep me grounded when I would stumble. I hope she is looking down from Valhalla and proud of the progress I've made."   

Frigga would always hold a special place in Alana's heart. Much like she did with Loki, Frigga shared her magic, teaching Alana the importance of speed, agility, and reflexes. Thor would at times attribute her connection with Frigga to her connection with Loki, A notion Alana of course denied. 

"I'm sure she is." Thor agreed tapping the hand grasping his arm. "So, are you prepared to officially meet the rest of the team?"   

"If the lot is as you described them, absolutely not." She laughed, extending her hand for Thor to take.


	4. It's Awkward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Alana head to earth where Thor introduces part of the team. Alana also comes face to face with her counterpart after years of being separated.

 

"Is sheat least behaving Heimdall?" Alana asked the watcher who stepped on the platform to activate the Bifrost.   

"She is not causing any problems" The guardian answered.  "She speaks to Captain America and Directory fury at the landing zone awaiting your arrival."  

 "I'm shocked." Alana called out in surprise.  

"It could be one of the many games she plays, I imagine." Thor nodded standing next to Alana at the portal. "I remember the many stories you told me about her."  

"She has her moments, I'll give her that." Alana commented shaking her head. "Mostly she lives to pick at my nerves. " 

"Well so do I and we get along just fine." Thor smiled to her.  

Alana stood at the portal waiting. Heimdall turned his sword into the activator, the entrance to earth becoming visible. Nervousness set in her bones as she stood before the magical gate. This would be the first time in what felt like years that she would be returning to earth. She was certain things would be different, humanity had a knack for constant change. However, she found herself wondering if her time in Asguard was enough to sustain what was inside of her.  She was so sure before, ready to put her mind and body to the test she knew she could not avoid for long. Yet now here she stood her mind flooding with sudden fear. She kicked herself mentally for feeling second thoughts. Was she being irrational? Possibly.  

She looked at Thor, a fake smile forming on her face as he turned to look at her. His face changed to one of worry and she sighed no longer able to make eye contact as she realized she was caught.  

He grabbed onto her shoulders, turning her body face him head on, a knowing look resting on his face. He grabbed her hand, his gentle squeeze radiating a sense of calm through her body. He lifted her chin up slowly, forcing her to look at him. "You will be alright. You have trained long and hard for this, I of all people should know. I believe in you Alana, and I do believe it is time you started to believe in yourself." 

"But Thor, you know what I-"

"Yes. I do, and we will address it when we can. Lets take it one step at a time."

She smiled sincerely and nodded, her mind in a state of temporary ease from her friends empowering words. His hand fell from her chin as they faced the portal together, their hands still intertwined. The red head and the God walked forward allowing the portal to take them in, leading them to their destination.  

 

 **Earth**            

Her body stretched through space, the many quickly passing galaxies and outposts passing just beyond her reach as she felt her feet landing on solid ground.  The Bifrost smoke dissipated, her eyes set still settling from the rapid change of atmosphere and lack of space travel.   

Alana blinked her eyes, her vision re-adapting to the world around her quickly. The sun was setting, the skies layered colors of Blue, Orange, and Yellow the further out her eyes carried her. She smiled, the alluring smell of freshly cut grass hitting her nose almost immediately.  The tower was in a nicely wooded area, the endless amounts of new age technology and security a clear necessity for a place of such high stature to run properly. The Planes, Jets, and Helicopters lined up perfectly on various runways of the facility.  She hummed to herself, releasing Thor's hand as she surveyed the area. 

 A couple steps ahead of her stood a group of men, each wearing something unique to distinguish themselves. Along with those men stood Phe, her counterpart, her straight white hair blowing angelically against the wind. She dressed in a fitted black off the shoulder top and tight blue jeans. Her combat boots were black and heavy, surely making an imprint on the ground below her. Alana was not shocked to see that Phe starred at her with nothing but pure disdain, she knew why Phe was upset, and in some ways, Alana knew she had every right to be. But what she did was for the greater good, something she did not feel Phe would be able to understand.  

Thor cleared his throat and looked at Alana. His arm extended in front of her as he gestured toward each member of the team. "Alana, these are my friends of earth. We have Natasha Romanoff, one of shield's top combat specialists-" 

Natasha nodded toward her in respect. "Pleasure."  

"Steve Rogers, or as the many inhabitants here here call him-" 

"Captain America." Alana finished, a smile on her face. " I know quite a lot about you."  

"I take that as a compliment Ma'am." He spoke, his voice welcoming and official.  

She chuckled at how proper he was. The memories of her first time on earth pushed it's way to the surface as she spoke once more. "I know I am a few thousand years older than you, but we look about the same age. Calling me ma'am is bound to look weird love, so don’t do it. Just call me Alana." She smiled, earning a respectful nod in return

"This is Bucky Barnes, another one of our hand to hand combat specialist." Thor called out, his eyes looking down to meet with her for just a moment.  

It was like awkward clock work. Alana blinked and took a breath, finding her composure fast enough for no suspicion to be cast on her.  She knew she would have to play off the fact she knew much about him for now, and when the time is right, she would confess, at least that's what she told herself.  If Odin had taught her anything it was that there was time for everything. If she revealed anything now it would cause more problems than it would solve. She prayed silently to the god's that he did not remember her, but she could tell there was something about her that he recognized.  

She could read the Confusion, and curiosity through his ocean blue eyes and that started to bother her. She sighed in her head realizing that this is going to be a lot tougher than she anticipated.  

"You're Steves friend." Alana spoke nodding toward him with a smile.  

Bucky nodded in response, his face was cold, absent of any feeling as if he had shut himself off. She knew what he was doing, she had been guilty of doing the same thing herself every once in a while. She knew he was silently searching in his mind for anything that would give an indication of who she was, and she could not have that.   

 _'Yikes. Imagine if he recognized you, I'll bet that would get you chained up.'_  

Alana sighed, forcing a smile as she spoke, ignoring the voice in her head. "You seemed a little confused for a second are you okay?"  

 _'_ _Ahhh_ _yes, lets avoid any further_ _suspicion and confrontation_ _by continuing the conversation, nice one. You have not changed at_ _all_ _fire_ _eyes_ _.'_  Phe spoke, her mental connection to Alana sparking once again. _'If I were you, I would confess your sins now, save us the trouble. I see you're into leather now, what_ _did_ _you and Thor do on_ _A_ _sguard_ _?_ _Couldn't_ _keep one brother so you went for the other?'_  

She ignored Phe once again as she gave herself her own mental high five for diverting his attention. 

Bucky blinked rapidly, turning his attention to Alana. "Sorry I- , just got lost in thought. It's nice to meet you, Alana."  

 _'Even after all this time you just can't help yourself. Can you?'_ Phe poked. _"Even now your urge to obsess over him is growing. I would tell you where the other_ _urge is forming but I'm sure Loki gave you that lesson first hand.'_  

 _'Shut up_ _Phe_ _._ _'_ Alana spoke in annoyance. ' _This is not the time'_  

 _'O_ _h!_ _it does speak_ _!'_  Phe replied a small chuckle echoing in the red heads mind.  

"Likewise."  She nodded " And Don't worry about it. I do it sometimes too." She nodded, looking to Thor to continue his introductions. 

"And this is Director Fury, the leader and head operator of Shield."  

"Thor." The darker skinned man called, extending his hand to Thor. They shook hands in respect, a professional nod shared among them. He offered his hand to Alana, which she gladly took. "It is nice to finally put a name with a face, Ms. Deltora."  

"Please Mr. Fury, call me Alana. " She smiled her hand falling to her side.  

He nodded, clasping hands behind his back as he took a quick glance at Phe. "I'm hoping you can clear up whatever is going on here."  

"To tell you the truth Mr. Fury, I have no idea what this is all about." She spoke, officially making eye contact with the white-haired alien. "Care to clear this up for us Phe?"  

"Sure." Phe nodded, her smile to Alana clearly fake. She turned to the right, looking to address the Director. "I imagine we will need your assistance, as amazing as I am this unfortunately is going to need to be a team effort. I ask that you assemble your team into wherever your call a briefing room in this cereal box. By the time that has been done, my good buddy Alana here will surely be settled in. Then we can meet and I'll explain everything there. Are my terms acceptable to you?"  

"If it gets the mess figured out they're good enough. A guard can come notify you as soon as we are ready." Fury nodded in agreement. "Once inside you will be shown to your rooms, we will meet shortly."  

"Perfect." Phe agreed, nodding to the Director. Her eyes smoothly finding Alana's once more. "I guess I'll see you there."


	5. Its's Necessary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana begins to settle into her new room when she is visited by a guest.

After Thor dropped Alana off to her room, she took take time to officially settle in. She folded her clothes, organizing each article of clothing she currently owned. The room was much smaller than the master room she occupied at Asguard, but she dare not complain. On the right side of the sliver wall sat two black leather chairs, each sitting at each corner of the room, in front of them rested a silver table, freshly dusted and wiped. To her left sat a love seat, also sliver in color. It was accompanied by a circular glass table, the freshly wiped glass showing the black carpeting that covered the entire room.  

With every sleeve she folded, she found herself going back to the moment she laid eyes on Sargent Barnes. He looked a lot healthier now, his newly made metallic arm holding the same muscle shape as his human one. It no longer held the red star, that was a nice change. His black shirt was tight against his skin, something she was sure stood true to many of the shirts he wore. He spent a lot of the time at the gym, that fact was not hard for her to observe. She could also see a hint of sadness in his eyes, perhaps loneliness. She was never one to pry in business that was not her own, but there was just something about his hidden pain that was a beacon to her wondering mind.  

A sudden knock on the door cleared her mind, her thoughts now fully occupied on whoever stood at the other side of the door. She moved from her bed, her hand reaching out to the small button resting to the left side of the door. With a simple push the door slid open, revealing the very person she had expected.  

"You're late." Alana spoke, her tone flat and unwelcoming. The silver eyed female moved away from the door, allowing Phe to enter her quarters.   

"Wow, after all the crap I've had to deal with because of you, I think I'm the one who should have the flat tone" Phe called out as she entered.  She sat down onto Alana's love-seat, her arm extending over the head of the couch.  "They were talking about you ya know, I decided to listen in while they walked down the hallway. Don't worry, it's all good things."  

Alana opted to stay silent. She stood at the edge of the bed, folding the last of her shirts as she listened to Phe talk.  

"Bucket didn't really talk though, he was just breathing all goth like." She spoke. "Though I'm sure that would have tickled you regardless." 

 She could feel Phe's eyes staring at the back of her head, the unavoidable tension growing with each passing second. They both had things they wanted to say, but only time would tell what would be brought up first. They had been separated for some time, when Alana  cut off telepathic connection to Phe, she knew there would be repercussions for her actions. They were supposed to be a unit, at least that is what Phe was going to inevitably argue.   

She saw no reason to try and fight with her. No matter how much Alana would try to explain anything she knew she would come out to be the bad guy. It was always like this with her, any decision she made there was always something that needed to be better.  Why do this? Why do that? Every choice she made ended up being Just good enough. With Phe it was always "Close, but should be closer." She would say that sometimes, knowing it annoyed Alana. It was a back and forth that she just couldn't stand, no matter how long of a break she took from it.  

"How long are you gonna stare at an empty wall instead of facing me like the woman you claim to be." Phe asked quickly, her voice harsh and unrelenting.  

Alana turned to face the woman, her face smiling in fake amusement. "I see your sarcasm hasn't changed."  

"I see your need to deflect serious conversations hasn't changed." Phe smiled sarcastically. "You've been nothing but childish since you got here. Like ignoring me for all this time then like i don't exist, don't even get me started on how you began to drool over an ex-assassin, so classy by the way."  

Alana scoffed in disbelief. "You were mocking me, Phe. You've done nothing but mock me constantly since I've gotten here and I'm the one being childish? I just see no reason to talk to you if you're not going to be serious, I don't want to argue with you." 

"Fine, let's get serious." Phe chuckled getting up from her seat. "You do realize I am the  _only_ one that can control what's raging inside of you and you  _cut off_  connection from me."  

"You know cutting you off was the right thing to do." Alana spoke quietly.  

"It was a stupid thing to do." Phe pushed. "What would have happened if something went wrong in that  _dust_  bunny you call a brain?"  

"I would have handled it." Alana spoke with confidence.  

"Oh really?" Phe spoke in surprise. "As I recall the reason I sent you to Asguard in the  _first place_ is because I was the one pulling the weight. You had no control. I told you, you needed to learn how to control it  _without_ my high resistance."  

"Exactly Phe,  _you_ sent me. I did exactly what you told me to do and in order to properly learn control I had to cut. You. off." 

"Ah yes, you suck at control so let's cut off and not update the one who actually knows what she's doing." Phe spoke sarcastically. "That makes total sense thank you for enlightening me you know, I think we really are getting somewhere."  

Alana sighed, her annoyance and impatience raising the more Phe spoke. "You know none of this would need to be brought to light if you had just come with me-"  

"And do what?" Phe interrupted. "Alana to me you went to off to kindergarten, the stuff they taught you I've known for decades. I had no reason to go, why would I want to sit bottled up in there learning something I already know?"  

"Because you are not supposed to be here." Alana spoke crossing her arms. "Because of you we cannot even  _think_ about going home-" 

"That was never my home to begin with."  

"Yeah well it was mine." Alana spoke, her voice raising. " It was yours for a time you cannot deny that Phe. You also knew separating us would prevent us from going back and you did it anyway."  

"You're damn right I did." Phe smiled, her face completely uncaring.  "And I would do it again, see, unlike you I can take responsibility for my actions."  

Alana shook her head in disappointment. She hated the fact she had to waste her time attempting to explain herself to someone who would just cut her off, and continue her own rant. It infuriated her that no matter what she did, or what she said Phe would not budge. She would always end up talking to a brick wall.   

"You need to tell them." Phe spoke, her voice stern. "Now." 

"No." She answered, knowing what she was referring to. 

Phe huffed an exasperated breath and looked to Alana in disbelief. "What do you mean no?" 

"It's not the right time, Phe." Alana explained. 

"The hell it isn't." Phe argued. "Alana, you and I both know you have a very terrible concept of _'the right time'_ , you need to tell them." 

"I will, just not now. They barley know me-"

"Which is why this is the best time to tell them!" Phe exclaimed. "You have been gone for the longest time and it like you _still_ have not developed an ounce of common sense."

Alana blessed her luck as a loud knocked echoed through the room. She looked at the closed metal door, speaking a monotone enter to whoever stood behind it.  

"The guard is here to take us to the meeting." Phe spoke as the door slid open. Two guards walked into the room to stand before them, the air reeking of tension.  

"Fury has asked us to escort you both to the conference room." The guard informed.  

"Oh hey look, it's the guy that cuffed me." Phe winked with a smile, pointing to the second guard. "I hope it was as fun for you as it was for me."  

"We're ready to go." Alana called out to them quickly, stopping Phe from speaking any further.  

"I can speak for myself, thank you." Phe voiced. She turned to the guards, carrying herself away from the love seat to stand in front of them. "I'm ready to go."  

Alana huffed to herself, what had transpired just now would definitely happen again in the near future. Now on top of having to deal with Phe, she had to deal with Phe knowing they are not on good terms.  She wanted to keep the peace, but with everything now coming onto her at once, she felt cornered. Confrontation was something Alana dreaded, the tough exterior sported to all who knew her was just a shell, covering the sensitive woman who wanted nothing more to have peace of mind.  

With a quick roll of her eyes she followed quickly behind Phe and the guarded soldiers. Hoping silently to herself that what was going on, was something her mind could handle. 


	6. It's informative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Per Phe's Request, Fury has gathered the Avengers. She can now explain the reason for her earlier intrusion.

After Alana and Phe made it to briefing room, they took the last available chairs across from one another.  By the way Phe smirked, Alana knew she was overjoyed at the fact they would not be sitting next to each other. In a way she was just as pleased. They filled the vacant chairs, waiting for Fury to begin the briefing after introducing the rest of the team . Alana made a note to thank Thor when she could for the constant stories Thor shared of the people he worked with, otherwise it would have taken her much longer to adapt to being around so many new people, she was never one for crowds of unknown people.

 The table's wood was polished to perfection. It could sit dozens of people and not violate any personal space, and by how full the room currently was, Alana considered it a personal blessing in disguise.  She sat at the end of table furthest from the door. To her right was the end of the polished table. The chair that rested at the edge of it she assumed belonged to the director. To her left, sat Thor, Bruce, Sam, Vision, Clint and Natasha. Across from her sat Phe, Steve, Bucky, Wanda, Scott, and Tony. There were many mixed emotions, that much she could tell. Confusion of the current predicament they faced, and curiosity to learn more of the new recruits to the team reigned strong the more Fury explained the events of the last few hours.  

 "Now that you all are up to speed, I think it's about time we find out what this is all about" The director spoke, walking over to his seat.  He slowly sat down in the leather chair, pulling the chair so his body met the table.  Clasping his hands together he rested them on the table. His focus turned to the white- haired female sitting to his left. "The floor is yours."  

"Thank you for the introduction eye patch." Phe nodded standing up from her chair. "Let me start this off by saying, I had not planned on barging in the way I did, but some  _communication_ issues pushed this little meeting ahead of schedule, it did end up being fun though." Phe looked across from her to look at Alana, a look of irritation forming on her face.  

Phe made her way to the other end of the table to overlook the entire team. "As you all have been told, I teleported myself into the interrogation room in an attempt to get in contact with the chick siting at the end of the table, say hi Alana." She began, extending her hand out to the fire haired female. "The reason I needed her Is because an organization you are quite familiar with is in the process of creating a weapon, this weapon can not only shift the balance of your planet, but destroy close to everything and everyone on it. With Alana, I will be able to destroy this weapon but we cannot do it alone. Our mission is to find  _and_ _destroy_ this weapon before they are able to use it."  

"Who is this organization, and what exactly are they creating?" Bruce questioned. Alana could feel her breathing beginning to fluctuate. Her gut and her mind were now working in sync, what Phe was going to confess became clear to her, and it made her uneasy. She kept her face straight, keeping her eyes locked on Phe while Phe looked at Bruce, looking somewhat confused as to why she had just been interrupted by him.  

"Well jolly green giant I will tell you if you let me finish." She answered with a smile. She reached into her left pocket and pulled out a small black USB drive. She stuck it into the table USB port, activating a 3D screen. Various holographic files appeared in front of her. She lifted her finger and scrolled through with ease, pressing one of the files to reveal blue prints of a drill like mechanism. It spun slowly, showing every angle possible, various notes were jotted down on each side of the rotating image. " Let's just get this out the way now, the organization that is building this weapon...is Hydra." Phe explained. "Ahhh gasp noooo not Hydra."  

Alana blinked, a deep sigh escaping from her mouth as she looked down to the table for a split second. She could feel and see the tension in the room rise immediately. Backs straightened, and bodies shifted, the looks that were exchanged between co-workers spoke more than any words could. She looked back to Phe, who continued on with her speech.  

"Clearly that name makes many of you uncomfortable. Good, it should, they are psycho assholes" She noted, clearly observing everything that Alana had. "Well, with this weapon they can create more than fear, they can create total chaos. This is more than a simple drill, it's a hydrodynamic administer. For the smaller brained ones in this room this drill has the ability to inject certain liquids deep into the earth's surface."  

Phe waved her hand across the 3D screen, opening up another file stored to the drive. Spiraling Images of DNA flashed across the screen, a microscopic image of flowing blood accompanying the strand of life. "These images are a likeness of typical human blood flow; the speed of the blood is accurate to that of a healthy human being which is about three to four miles per hour." She tapped again, minimizing the microscopic image to bring up another. "This here is my blood flow, sweet right? My blood flows about a hundred times that the speed of an average human-"  

"Your blood flows at one hundred miles an hour?" Clint asked in disbelief. Watching her blood move at an unimaginable speed.  

"Yes, and because of that my body heals much quicker than any typical human, Alana is like that as well." Phe explained. She clicked back to the image of the human blood, dragging the image of the drill to float beside it as she spoke. "Hydra has their hands on a controlled liquid substance, this substance has the capability to infect and destroy cells. It can also rewrite DNA structures. "  

"Like the Soldier serum that was given to Steve and Bucky just with more negative effects?" Sam asked, to which Phe nodded.  

"Exactly like that, only there is a twist. The Serum that gave them their abilities has been.... altered, so to speak. They've created a compound, again for the idiots in the room that means they have mixed different elements. They mixed the serum with what Alana and I, along with the people of Alana's home world of Alfheim call the taint."  

"This whole meeting makes me hate science a lot more than I did when I was in school." Scott chimed in, rubbing his temples in agony. 

"I have heard of the taint." Thor spoke. "It is in the lore of Asguard, it nearly consumed all of Alfheim, my father aided in the battle to eradicate it long ago, shortly after that, he became king."  

"Uh, congrats to him I guess. Anyway, the enemies may have been defeated, but the taint wasn't. In fact this taint is incapable  of being destroyed-"  

"So, you want us to destroy something that is immortal? Do tell me snow bunny, how do we destroy something that's immortal? That kind of defeats the purpose of immortality if it can die." Tony interjected, a red pen clutched in his hands.   

"I said find and destroy the  _weapon_ , you Coca Cola reject. The taint is different, it will need to be magically transferred back into the dark dimension where it was created which is where Alana and I come in."  

"How did they get access to such power?" Vision asked.  

Thor turned his head to look at Alana, the famous look of hidden concern easily readable in his eyes. She met his eyes for a split second still maintaining her straight face. Her failed attempt to maintain eye contact gave him all the information he needed. He moved his hand under the table, grabbing the hand that rested on Alana's lap. She squeezed his hand in thanks, awaiting Phe's next words.  

"It doesn't matter how they got it, they point is they got it." Phe spoke in irritation.  "This taint is highly toxic to you humans. If even a sliver of it comes in contact with your blood it has the potential to cause extreme damage. Most of major erratic behavior caused by this taint is  _completely_  beyond your control. unless you can master it, which you cant. Eventually, it will destroy every blood cell in your body, while shutting down every vital organ you possess in your very frail and breakable bodies."  

"Is there an antidote? Maybe a way to counteract the effects if it reaches the blood?" Steve asked her.  

"None that's been discovered yet." Phe explained.  "Alfheim has been researching for a safe way to eradicate the taint for centuries. It would have wiped them all out but enough of it was pushed back into the dark dimension to stop any access damage. But even then, Alfheim has never been the same since that war."  

"Many of our people live with the taint inside of them." Alana spoke, finding her voice for the first time. All eyes fixated on her, which caused her to shift her body in slight discomfort. She cleared her throat, finding her own courage to continue. "Because of our high circulation, the taint was able to adapt, creating a symbiotic relationship with our blood cells, it doesn't destroy our cells completely, but it does affect us in different ways. However, if enough were to get into our blood it _could_  kill. We can only filter through so much. "  

"Think of it as a never ending cold." Phe added. The attention shifting back to her. "It’s all Dependent on what sickness a human has, if your white blood cells can't fight the unknown presence good enough, you can have equilibrium problems, constant headaches, things like that. In Alfheims case, their ability to focus is increasingly difficult, and those with special abilities may have issues using some of their powers."  

"The point is, ultimately this taint just can't be controlled." Alana commented, she released Thor's hand extending her pointer finger at the image. "If they make this supposed drill and inject enough of this tainted serum into the earth's surface it will spread faster than a wild fire. It would taint all lands, oceans, and food within days. If you don't die of the taint, you'd eventually go extinct from lack of resources. "  

"What could they hope to accomplish? If it is so toxic why would they use it?" Wanda asked.  

"My guess would be control." Alana answered. "Hydra has always believed humanity cannot be trusted with its own freedom, with this weapon maybe they think they can annihilate the weak and enlist the strong that survive to their cause."  

"Giving them ultimate power over all people." Fury finished shaking his head in realization. 

"Even if that's their goal, the serum is mixed with this taint and as previously stated can't be controlled, meaning it will backfire." Natasha spoke aloud. "Let's say it didn't. Say they inject it and everyone were to become Infected, this world is not small how would they control mass amounts of super soldiers?"  

"Ever heard of networking?" Phe asked Natasha, earning her a raised brow. "Hydra is not exclusive to just New York, they have bases worldwide, they have dozens of generals, not to mention their pets spread their delusional message everywhere they can. Hell, some of your most trusted officials are probably on their pay role.  Humans crave direction, without some form of leadership this world would fall into mayhem, and hydra feeds on that. One cause, many people. Anyone that opposes dies, plain and simple. That's the nature of control."  

"So hydra has their hands on a serum that can destroy the entire planet. Nice, it really does sound like a typical Wednesday" Clint spoke nodding his head.  

"The taint is basically a magical parasite, it's purpose is to spread and annihilate." Alana explained. "The lord of darkness Dormammu created it long ago as a way to speed up mass extinction and rule the worlds he destroyed. Hydra must think they have the ability to harness it's magic for their purposes. Bottom line, this is not something to trifle with."  

" _Now would be a good time to bring up our thing._ " Phe spoke to Alana via their telepathic connection. Alana simply shook her head and Phe huffed in utter disappointment. 

"Alright, now that we have the details, we are going to need to have a plan." Sam conversated.  

"Are there any leads on where this device is being made?" Steve asked.  

"No." Phe answered simply. "I don't have any information on the devices possible location, but I do have information on someone who may."  Phe waved her hand once again on the 3-D screen, minimizing the current files and replacing it with another.  

"This is Achim Fisher, one of the lower ranked generals in Hydra. He currently resides on a highly fortified base in New York. Much like everyone ever employed by Hydra his kill count is quite high. For a low ranked general it's actually quite impressive how protected he is. I can forward the information on Achim and the schematics of the base to each of you. Once you all have become familiar we can plan from there."   

"This is a lot to take in I mean, taints, Hydra....If I wanted this much responsibility dropped on me in one day I'd buy a gold fish." Scott conversed.  

"Trust me Ant-dude I hate talking about it." Phe spoke looking over to him.  

Fury arose from his seat, the tips of his fingers pressed against the table as he spoke. "We can meet back here tomorrow morning and discuss how to handle this properly. Now that we know what's going on we can access the situation and take the best course of action to destroy this weapon. Meeting adjourned." He nodded toward the crew and walked away, his feet moving to the door to exit the room.  

Alana pushed herself up from her seat noticing her reflection in the table below. She could feel her head pounding with utter frustration. Her mind processed and evaluated the information she just acquired and it was not sitting well with her. Every time she came to earth there was always something that needed to be fixed and it annoyed her. Compared to many other planet's Alana would say that earth was honestly not that bad, but she could also say the world was broken. Though some stand united, others would stand divided. Their differences kept them apart. It some ways earth reminded her of herself, and she was not sure that was a good thing.   

 


	7. Eventually

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana and Phe are visited by Bruce Banner, who seeks a better understanding of their abilities

_"I don't_ _know_ _what's_ _worse,_ _Hydra_ _creating a weapon that_ _can_ _potentially_ _destro_ _y earth,_ _or_ _P_ _he_ _in_ _a bad_   _mood."_ _Alana_ _spoke as she paced back_ _and forth in front of her bed._  

 _"From what you have told me over the years, I am_ _thinking_ _Phe_ _in a bad mood is much worse." Thor smiled._  

 _Alana could see he was biting his tongue, she had an idea on what he_ _wanted_ _to say to her_ _,_ _but she was not sure this was a discussion she wanted to have at the present time. She had enough to deal with and Thor making her feel guilty was not going to help in the slightest._  

 _"Alright Thor what is it?" Alana asked, despite her better judgement. "You clearly have something on you_ _r_ _mind."_  

_Thor shook his_ _head, his eyes now the ones failing to make contact._ _"_ _Nothing It's just, after that meeting, Phe spoke with me on how you refused to divulge hat you know."_

_"Oh? You guys are good buddies now?"  She asked, peeking at him momentarily before continuing to pace._

_"No but, given your hesitance back on the rainbow bridge, and the way you acted during the briefing, her words do not seem far fetched."_

_"And?"_

_"And?" He started, giving a small chuckle. "Alana, this is not something you can just withhold. This is vital information-"_

_"I am aware." She explained, now standing still. "I am going to tell them, but this is not the right time."_

_"I can't help but wonder_ _....._ _How_ _long do you intend to go forward_ _with_ _this plan?" Thor asked._  

 _"As long as need be." Alana responded, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "You know what we're dealing with Thor, you know how dangerous it is,_ _I'm_ _not trying to add more food to my plate when I'm already full."_  

 _"You sound_ _just_ _like_ _father_ _." He spoke in a gentle tone._ _H_ _e walked over to the love seat,_ _slowly sitting himself_ _down_ _onto_ _the plump cushions_ _. "There are some things I_ _truly_ _wish he_ _had_ _n't_ _taught_ _you."_  

 _"What he taught me was how to bide my time, everything that was_ _said during that meeting is what needed to be said at that time, everything else will have to wait."_  

 _"Or maybe_ _you are afraid of what might happen if you do tell them._ _Alana, they_ _are_ _understanding, and you have me to vo_ _uch for you, hell even Odin will speak his word. You can't let this build, M_ _aybe telling them can give them a better understanding about-_  

 _"If I_ _or_ _Phe_ _told them anymore than we did_ _tonight_ _, you would be visiting a cell with me in_ _it_ _even if you did_ _vouc_ _h_ _for_ _me_ _._ _" Alana_ _spoke plainly. "I promise you I will tell_ _them_ _eventually_ _,_ _just_ _not now. I need more time."_  

 _"I'_ _m_ _holding you to this promise Alana, and_ _when the time comes, should_ _you_ _not_ _tell them, I will."_  

 

 _XX_  

"No."  

"Phe." 

"No." She spoke again, raising her cold voice. 

"Don’t be rude-" 

"I Said no." She interrupted, plopping herself on the vacant chair next to Alana. 

"You don't really have a say in the matter, Besides, I already talked to Fury and he agreed." Alana turned the page of her book, not paying mind to the icy stare Phe was giving her.  

"Then I'm leaving."  

"You're not leaving." Alana called from her silver chair, her mind still focusing on the book in her hands.  

"And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?"  

"Phe come on stop being so difficult." Alana spoke closing the book. "I know you don't like her, and to be honest she doesn't like you either, but we need to get into this base and with her expert hacking skills she will be useful. You don't have to like each other to work together."  

"I _hate_ her, lets get that straight. Alana, this place has  _dozens_ of professional hackers to choose from, and you want to bring in the one person who irks me?" Phe asked, her voice high. "We're working with Iron man;  _Iron man_  Alana, he is like the  _king_  of technology "  

Alana rolled her eyes at her counterpart, she really was not in the mood to hear any more complaints. Her head was pounding uncontrollably, the more Phe talked, the angrier she became. She wanted to sit and read her book in silence, something she felt she earned after such a hectic few days.  "Look Phe, we're on a time table. She knows how hydra operates and with her knowledge, this mission is going to be a lot easier."  

"Easier? Alana, she is the least trust worthy person we know."  

"No,  _you_  are the least trust worthy person we know."  

"Ya know, if I cared about what you thought of me that could have really hurt my feelings."  

"Get out my room Phe." Alana spoke clearly annoyed by Phe's presence. She sat back in her chair, opening her book to continue reading, hoping the woman would take that as a sign she was done talking. 

"Wait a second, if memory serves me right you two did not end on good terms. How would you even get her here?" 

 _Guess not_. Alana thought to herself. The silver eyed female closed her eyes and sighed, closing her book once again. "We did not end on good terms, though we did not exactly end on bad terms." Alana confirmed turning her head to face her. "However, as if by pure circumstance, when I mentioned Liara's name Fury mentioned he knows her."  

"Eye patch knows Liara?!" Phe spoke in shock. "What, did they smash?"  

"I don't know Phe, I really did not feel it was my business to ask about his personal connections."  

"I'm not surprised, you never could handle meat well, so stories about it must send you into shock." 

"You are so annoying." Alana whispered holding the bridge of her nose. "My head seriously hurts, can you tone it down a bit."  

"Nope. And I am not annoying, I just tell you how it is and you don't like it Mrs. 'oh I'm so pure and innocent and I sugar coat everything to spare feelings'." Phe spoke in a mocking tone. "Wait a second, if Fury knows Liara, then he has to know her employment history, right?"  

"Yeah?" Alana answered, her tone expressing slight confusion. She got up from her chair and placed her book on the table. The bed was calling her name, she thought if she sat at the edge of her bed and sprawled out, not only would her excruciating headache go away, but Phe would to.  

"Well oh wise one, if he knows about Liara and her past he has to know about us."  

"Phe, Fury had no idea who we were until today." Alana responded. She sat back, closing her eyes as she let her body fall softly onto the bed while her feet remained on the floor. 

"Or maybe he does know us and is biting his tongue until he can have solid evidence."  

"That is an outrageous statement, Even if he did, he has nothing to gain anyway. He won't find anything anyway, there is no evidence or files of us anywhere on this planet, besides the one we are making tonight, it's like we never existed before today."  

"Um, I beg to differ." Phe conversed in disagreement "There is evidence we existed, one piece is currently occupied, another piece is no coming here, and the other two pieces are currently sleeping. Give me time to find four more pieces and we can have an evidence pizza. "  

"You may good points, but again, this is all speculation." Alana conversed. Her eyes still closed "When she gets here, we can talk to her about it and go from there? Alright?"  

"I'm just saying, she could lie about it." Phe spoke, crossing her arms like a child. "And what makes you think she even wants to speak to you?" 

"Liara is just like you, she doesn't have time to lie Phe. Yall act like twins, you really should actually like each other." She spoke softly. Her hands reached to massage her temples as she whispered to herself. " _God my head hurts_."  

"Pop an Advil, it's a human drug for headaches. Eh, opposites attract." Phe responded with a shrug. "Besides, I've never been a fan of dogs."  

"I am not trying to hear -" 

"Yeah, before you say something I clearly don't care about, someone is about to knock on your door."  

Alana looked to the door as three very light knocks collided with the solid door on the other side.  She arose to her feet, walking over to press the button to activate the sliding metal door. There, behind the door, stood Bruce Banner. His blue shirt and grey suit jacket complimented nicely with his matching grey pants and black shoes, though with it being this late in the evening she found herself questioning why he was dressed so professionally, especially this late at night.  

"I'm here for the profile." Bruce spoke with a small shy smile. Alana nodded and moved aside to let him in 

"This is great." Phe clapped, arising from her chair. " I'm glad you requested to do this, I've been meaning to talk to you, so, you pop your butt in this chair in front of that table, meanwhile, Alana and I will sit on the couch together and we all can like....bond and stuff."  

Alana watched Phe drag the chair to sit in front of the love-seat's table, a very fake smile playing on her face. Alana's eyes followed Phe as they both sat down on the couch, Alana became increasingly more suspicious the more she stared at her, ' _Why in god's name did she want to talk to Bruce?'_   

"I assume this F.R.I.D.A.Y. will be recording all of this as you ask us this stuff right?"  

' _That is correct Mrs. Deltora."_ Friday spoke allowed _. "Each answer will be recorded and stored_ _into the Facilities_ _Private_ _Database, these files will only be_ _accessi_ _ble_ _to those with special_ _clearance."_  

"Understood." Alana nodded looking to the ceiling. "Thank you."  

 _"You are welcome."_ The AI responded.  

"So tell me lean, green, fighting machine, how is it that you can, being the fluffy scientist that you are, hold such a monstrous being?" Phe asked, the look of pure amusement and disbelief on her face. "I mean the hulk is  _huge,_ practically invincible, and can cause un-speak able damage to property and people in seconds." She shook her head. "Meanwhile, you look like an  _ant_  would scare you, not to mention you voice is like a calming audio book-" 

" _Shut._ _Up._ _Phe_ _."_ Alana spoke through gritted teeth. She turned to look at Bruce with a calming smile. "Please don't mind her, she's a work in progress."  

"Work in progress?  _I'm, a work in progress_? I'm older than  _you._ " Phe called out, looking to her right to glare at Alana. "I also don't lie." 

" _That's ..._ actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Among other things." Bruce called interrupting their argument. " How old  _are_  you both exactly?"  

"You come into a females room at almost one in the morning to profile us about our powers, and you start with asking how old we are?" Phe asked once again in complete disbelief. "Don't women on earth have code against stuff like that? I mean I know being around attractive females is foreign to you but come on man."  

"I- I did not mean any disrespect." Bruce spoke aloud, his hands now clinging hard to the handheld device that had the questions they were to answer on it. "It's just a way to have a better understanding of your power, age can be a determining factor on how well you can control it."  

"You mean you want a scientific explanation of something you don’t understand, that way should something go wrong you know how to control it. i noticed you humans tend to fear what you don't understand. Tell me Bruce, are _you_ afraid? Perhaps?" Phe sat back in her seat, crossing her right leg over her left. "Isn't that what all scientist do? Explain the unexplainable?"  

"Some scientists yes." Bruce agreed. "Others just like to learn, and No I am not."  

"Well I'm not a test subject." Phe spoke, chin high. "Unless I give permission, no poking allowed."  

Alana sighed, her eyes rolling in annoyance. "Phe can you just please-"  

"Relax fire eyes, I was just kidding." Phe laughed looking at Alana. She uncrossed her legs and sat up straight on the couch. "Relax Brucy I'm not that high strung, it takes to much energy." She laughed, waving her hand in front of her. "Let's see, Alana here is about a few thousand years old, but she looks twenty-four in human years so we roll with it." Phe explained. "Me? Let's see I'd say.... roughly....two maybe three billion years? I've seen a lot of stars die in my day if you know what I mean."  

"You're almost four billion years old?!" Bruce asked.  "Are you some type of immortal?"  

"Hey, hey, whoa there, did I say round up?" Phe asked holding her hand up. "I said two maybe three not four. However, in human years, I say I'm 26, that's all your getting so don't bother asking more about it okay? Okay. 

"Alright, Fair enough." Bruce nodded, not fighting with her. He looked down to the hand-held device in his hands, finding the next question. "So, what about your abilities?"  

"You wanna take this over? You're pretty basic so this won't take long for you." Phe smiled, looking at Alana.  

"You sure you want me too? I would hate to stop you from showing how narcissistic and entitled you are." Alana replied smiling back at her.  Phe's smile dropped immediately, giving Alana a boost to her own hidden pride. Alana happily turned to look at Bruce, but by the look on his face the constant bickering between the two women caused him to feel slightly out of place. She cleared her throat, trying to find a way to make him feel a little less socially awkward.  

"Many of our powers are the same, we share Advanced healing, telekinesis, telepathy and combat training, we can also manipulate atoms and matter around us, shaping it into certain object's. Phe's mental resistance is much better than mine, she also has enhanced hearing, and phase powers, I don't have that."  

"What she can do is create fire and absorb energy." Phe noted to the scientist. "Say she is hit with like a sun ray or any focused blast of energy, she can absorb it and if she wants ricochet it back out. I mean it's not as impressive as me but you get it."   

"We have never experienced anyone with such extensive power like you both before, were you born with these abilities?"  

"You could say that." Alana answered with a smile. "We'll spare you the history lesson, but these powers are a gift, some we were born with, and some we earned, it's all dependent on how you look at it."  

"Unless there is anything else, I think we have everything we need." Bruce nodded, overlooking his notes. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. did you get everything?"  

 _"Yes Mr. Banner, all abilities have been recorded and stored."_ The A.I. confirmed.  

"Then that's all I have for you." He smiled, standing up from the chair.  Both women stood up off the couch, Bruce extended his hand out to each woman, shaking their hands in respect before he took his leave.  

"Oh, one more thing." Bruce called out, turning around to face them.  

Phe made her way around the table to stand a few steps away from him. "Yes?"  

"In terms of weaknesses, is there anything that can counter-" 

"We have none." Alana interrupted a bit too quickly, still standing in front of the couch. "Well, we haven't discovered anything that can harm us directly."  

"The only real hiccup is that sometimes our powers don't function properly." Phe elaborated, glaring at Alana.  

"What do you mean?" He asked politely.  

"Well our powers, as extensive as they are, take a lot of concertation and energy, sometimes it may not take enough energy and they malfunction. But that is extremely rare."  

"Ah, well thank you for your time, I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you in anyway." He spoke, his eyes meeting Alana's.  

Alana shook her head to him. "It's no trouble at all Mr. Banner."  

"Please, call me Bruce."  

"Fair enough, _Bruce."_ She spoke with a smile. He nodded in respect, turning away from her and exiting the room.  

Alana watched the door close and sighed, Bruce to her seemed like a very private yet welcoming individual. She saw parts of herself in him, the cautiousness, the hidden vulnerability, and the pain. She was sure if she talked to him more they could be very good friends. He seemed to take a liking to her, but only time will tell if he would open up to her in a friendly manner. 

" _Please, call me Bruce."_ Phe mocked, a smirk playing on her lips. "Ya know I think he likes you."  

"Shut up Phe, Bruce is nice, respectable man, and you made him feel extremely uncomfortable with your idiotic comments."  

"What comments, you act like I said' let me run my fingers through your hairy chest big boy', everything I said was directed at you."  

"That doesn't matter Phe, he felt weird around you."   

"And I care why? It's not y fault he can't handle a confident woman. Oh dear god, please tell me you don't plan on sleeping with him, I prefer Bucket to that green bean."  

 "I have no plans on sleeping with him, you walking mattress." Alana answered in annoyance. "And his name is Bucky, why the hell do you call him Bucket?"  

"Because this is a free country and I do what I want. Besides, calling him Bucket annoys you." She winked walking from behind the table. "This has been fun, but I must take my leave and rest, unlike you I hate having bags under my eyes."  

"You don't even need to sleep." Alana spoke crossing her arms.  

"I know, but it's fun to do, plus I can dream of all the men I want." She smiled, walking to the door. "Oh and by the way, I searched Thor's brain, it took a lot out of me but it was worth it. It seems Odin's son shares my thought process of you telling the truth. That and he seemed serious about telling them our little secret himself. You don't have a lot of time left, I suggest you think that over while you sleep on a lie."  

 

 

 

 


	8. It all comes back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana makes new connections

"So what is your home like?" Scott asked, sipping his morning coffee. "What is it again Glfhem? Alphiem?"  

"Alfheim." Alana pronounced, taking a small sip of her freshly made English tea.  "It is a beautiful place my home, the trees never die, the rivers flow freely throughout the land, the animals are fed freshly grown vegetables, and the meat some hunt for are always in pristine condition due to the measures we take to keep our land pollution free."  

"Do you have any pets? Like dogs or cats? Maybe a fish? Or anything like our Zoo's?" Clint asked, taking a hefty bite of a breakfast burrito.

"Oh no. We do not domesticate or cage our animals like the people of earth do." She explained, taking joy in answering the many questions they asked. "Our animals are free to roam wherever they please, whenever they please. We feed them, love them, and give shelter to them whenever they wish. Many of our animals do imprint and find solace in certain homes, but we do not force them to stay. As for our halla, we only mount in times of war."  

"What's a Halla?" Wanda questioned holding onto her cup of tea.  

"A Halla is what you humans could compare a horse too." Alana spoke. "The main difference is their antlers, and their greyish color. Unlike humans we have a spiritual connection to all our creatures. This connection we share with them was passed down through generations of culture. It began with the elves' who founded our home world."  

"Elves?!" Sam asked in shock. "Like the pointy ears, bow and arrow wielding elves?!"  

Alana could not help but chuckle at his reaction. "Yes, but they wield more than bows. They are very skilled with swords as well as arrows. If you ever meet an elf, don't say the pointy ears thing, they hate that." She whispered, a small smile playing on her lips.  

"Got it, got it." He nodded, taking another bite of his Burrito.  

Wanda nodded. "Your home world sounds like a paradise, why would you ever want to leave?"  

Alana sipped her tea again, trying to find the proper words. Her home was always a sensitive topic for her, but she took pride in speaking of her birth place. Was she homesick? Absolutely. She painted her home to the others as a perfect paradise because to her, it was perfect. Compared to earth it is a paradise, there was no war, no conflict, no battling religion, even difference of opinion was celebrated. Her home world felt listening and receiving messages from others was a sign of respect, differences were celebrated as a way to better their culture and enhance their understanding on how others may feel. The needs of the many would never outweigh the needs of the few, everyone was considered, and that is why her world worked so well together.    

"I did not  _want_  to leave per say, but I needed to. It was a way to learn of other cultures and lifestyles. By the time I return home, I hope to have a better knowledge of many different ways of life."  

"When do you report back to them?" Clint asked.  

"Whenever I see fit, I am what we call the head of my land. My mother and Father rule Alfheim." 

"Whoa whoa whoa." Sam called through a bite of burrito. "You are royalty?"  

"Eh, royalty is a strong word, I don't run anything or make laws like my mother and father, but I  _am_  of royal blood, the throne is mine to inherit but I am not really fit to rule a kingdom just yet."   

"You and Thor really do have a lot in common like he said." Wanda noted.  

"We do." Alana nodded with a smile. "We have the same friends, same upbringing, in some ways I feel just as connected to you all as Thor is, mainly from all the stories he shared about you all to me. I owe a lot to Thor."  

"So, and you can totally refuse to answer this if you want." Scott began. "Did you two ever...ya know, date and grown up stuff?"  

"Oh come on Scott seriously?" Sam asked in disgust. "That is personal dude, and at breakfast?"  

Alana laughed and shook her head. "It's alright Sam, to answer your question no, we have not done anything like that. Thor and I have a more human brother and sister type relationship. Though I did have some entanglements with his brother for a time." She admitted.  

"Loki?!" Clint asked. "God of Mischief Loki?"

Alana nodded with pride. "That's the one."  

"Oh, you so have to tell us about this." He responded scooting in his seat. "And more about your royalty stuff." 

"I would love to tell you all about it, but it will have to wait until another time, I do believe our guest has arrived." Alana spoke nodding toward the fast approaching Tony stark.  

"New chick is here." Tony spoke walking into the lounge. "Fury has been filling her in on everything, he was goo goo eyeing her the whole time too. We can meet them in the briefing room, careful, she has a  _serious_  sarcastic attitude, way worse than the bird Phe." 

"More so than you?" Sam asked. 

"Uh, no. I reign supreme." Tony spoke. "Though I am pretty sure she called me something mean in Spanish."  

"That's Liara." Alana nodded getting up from her seat. "She takes a bit to warm up to people, but fair warning, she has no filter, and her extrovert personality makes up for it. Just give her some time."  

"If anyone needs to give her time, it's you, but then again you did didn't you?" Phe spoke walking up to join the group. "Tony came to get me first, he likes me more than you." She spoke with a wink.  

"I do?" He asked looking to the female.  

"Of course." She nodded. "If you need convincing you already know where my room is." 

"Oh my God." Alana spoke.  

"What?" Phe asked.  

"Can you go one day?"  

"I mean yeah I can, I would prefer not too, seeing as I love men but if duty calls-"  

" _Not_  what I meant." Alana interrupted. "Look, just go with them to the briefing room, I'm gonna clean up my mess and meet you there."  

"Whatever play maid all you like, but if you see broken glass and a dead woman on the floor when you get there, it was all _her_ fault."  

"Phe...." Alana warned with crossed arms. 

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Phe spoke, waving her off. She walked up to Tony, linking her arm with his. "I'm linking arms with you Mr. Stark, don't make it weird."  

"It's fine, my escorting skills are legendary." He spoke with a smirk, walking with her down the hall.  

Alana cleaned her trash while the others arose from their seats to head to the briefing room. She double checked her work, making sure not a crumb was left before she cleared herself to leave. _No proper lady ever leaves a mess,_ her mom told her that every day from when she as a child, until she left for earth. Since then, she has never left a mess, she made sure everything was neat, no matter where she lived. She told herself her mom would be proud of her, living the way she taught her, well she lived the way she was taught to the best of her ability. Even without her mother's physical presence she felt the need to take that extra step, to try and impress her in anyway she could. She always lived to meet her mother's approval though she knew there was something she had to be doing wrong.  

Alana had been so lost in thought, she was taken aback when she collided into an unknown force in front of her. It was obviously human, she could feel the person turn quickly and grab onto her arms as if by instinct to keep her from falling to the floor.   

"Wow, I am so, so sorry. I was so lost in thought, I should have watched were i was going-" Alana mumbled finding her composure. 

"It is no trouble at all, I should have walked faster, I was lost in thought myself."  

Alana looked up, meeting the most enticing blue eyes she had ever seen. Her breath quickly hitched in her throat.  She found herself unable to formulate a proper sentence now that she knew who she had unintentionally bumped into.  

"Are you alright?" Bucky asked, still holding onto her arms.  

"Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm...I'm okay. I was just uh, trying to compose myself." She spoke with a nervous chuckle. "I felt bad bumping into you I was uh, trying to figure out how to properly apologize." 

"Oh, really don't worry about it." He spoke with a small smile. "It happens to the best of us, we're going the same way I imagine?"  

"Uh, Yeah." She nodded. Clearing her throat, she stood up straight, giving him freedom to release his grip on her arms. She let out a small sigh as she continued. "I was heading to the briefing room, Fury brought a woman I know to help us out with this Hydra mission."  

Bucky took in a quick breath and nodded. Alana could feel a small hint of guilt bringing up Hydra's name to him. She considered the possibility that it was still sort of a soft subject, but even then, if he was to be working with the rest of the team, he would have to find his own comfort with the fact he would have to face his demons.  

"Well, since we are going to the same place, we can walk together to the room if you wish." He offered, extending his hand forward to their shared direction as he eyed the petite woman.  

"Yeah sure, that sound nice." She nodded. Brushing off her light blue off the shoulder top she began walking side by side with the ex-assassin   

"So, how do you know this new guest?" He asked her.  

"Liara? Oh, we have known each other for a while. I rescued her a while back from some scientists who tested on her against her will, and vice versa, after that we traveled together for a time, and became good friends. Unfortunately, a few years after that I had to leave earth and go to Asgard, she did not take my leaving very well." Wow, was she really babbling right now? Alana kicked herself mentally for sharing such unimportant information with him. She was sure he would be totally bored with such talk, all she had to do as say they knew each other for a while and had a falling out. But of course, she had to take the extra step and talk to much on something he did not care about.  

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear you guys had a falling out." He expressed, much to her surprise. "It has been some time, maybe she has put that behind her."  

"I guess we shall find out when we get there, if a chair is thrown at me, I'll know where I stand." Alana laughed. She heard Bucky chuckle, and for reasons she herself could not explain, it made her lips curl into a small smile.  

The fact that this conversation that he had started was continuing really put Alana in a state of sudden confusion. To be honest, the fact he purposely took the time to talk to her at all and seemed like he found an interest in what she was saying was so unfamiliar.  She was not used to the constant inclusion she felt when talking to her new peers. First the team made It seem like they actually wanted to talk to her, to get to know her, to see and feel the things she did. Now Bucky, who is known to be reserved with people he did not know, wanted to talk to her too. She was not sure what she should say, if she said the wrong thing he may hate her, but if she stayed silent she would seem uninterested in speaking to him, which was far from the truth.  

"I have to say your friend Phe took us by surprise when she showed up here." Bucky explained.  

Alana huffed shaking her head as they continued walking. "Yeah, it took me by surprise when Thor told me she was here. I mean, I knew she was bold but I knew whatever she wanted had to be extremely important if she was  _that_  bold. Come to find out I was right."  

"At the briefing she spoke as if she knew hydra pretty well, have you guys dealt with Hydra before?"  

Alana blinked, quickly trying to find the words acceptable for the current conversation. "A couple times yeah, Liara was there for some of it we uh,  _got rid_  of a lot of them, well at least we tried to. We were fully aware of Hydra's mission and their goals, so Phe and I took it upon ourselves to rid the world of an unnecessary evil. Apparently, they spawn like flies." 

"I don't think we could ever truly be rid of them." Bucky spoke.  

"Really? Why do you think that?" She asked, her curiosity growing.  

"I've seen things, I know how they operate. It's one backup plan after another. I just don't think they'll ever truly be stopped." He conversed, his tone low. The memories of his on hardships within the terrorist origination resonated through his words, the harsh undertone piercing her ears like a knife.  

"They may never stop, but what we can do is make it harder for them to keep going." Alana announced, trying to get his mind to cling to any form of positivity.  

"That's an effective way to look at it I guess." He nodded looking over to her.  

"Eh, I've come to realize that when you live with a mind like mine, a positive attitude toward others can go a long way." She spoke with a smile.  

Alana looked at the briefing room door in surprise, not certain how they arrived at the destination as quickly as they did.  

As if he read her mind Bucky chuckled looking at the door. "Weird, I have walked to this room countless times and I do not remember it ever being this quick."  

"I've only been her a couple days and I could have sworn it was a much longer walk when I first got here." She agreed. "Time flies when you're having fun?...That is the earth term isn't it? It's been a while."  

He laughed again, shooting a boost of self-esteem to the fire haired female. "That it is."  

"Well, thanks for the company, and keeping boring o'l me entertained on this surprisingly short walk, it has been a pleasure." Alana nodded to him.  

"The pleasure is all mine." He spoke, nodding back to her. He walked in front of her, grabbing the handle to the door, turning back to look at her before he pulled the handle. "Shall we Mrs. Deltora?" 

"Yes we shall, Mr. Barnes." She spoke, her tone was classy and respectful, just like her mother taught her.


	9. So much Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team is introduced to Liara Guerra, who has been asked to help formulate a plan to get into the hydra base

Alana entered the briefing room, various scattered conversations flooded her ears as she took a moment to observe the room and the people inside it. Bucky entered the room shortly after and stood beside her, they stood together momentarily, overlooking the crowd as the door clicked shut behind them.  Once the door closed, they separated, each person going to their original seats they had acquired at the first briefing she had ever attended.   

Alana went to sit in her chair and made eye contact with Phe, who wore a devilish smirk on her face. Via telepathy, Phe chuckled and spoke.  _'_ _I leave_ _y_ _o_ _u_ _alone for fiv_ _e minutes_ _and you're_ _al_ _ready_ _trap_ _p_ _ing_ _B_ _ucket, niiiice_ _....._ _but uh_ _,_ _I_ _know you are not as_ _experienced_ _as I am in matters such as this,_ _so I will inform you now,_ _five minutes is not a typical good stop time, sorry for your loss.'_  

 _'What the hell are you even talking about?'_  Alana asked completely confused.  

' _I'll bet Steve can go w_ _ay_ _longer than five minutes, by the looks of those pants much of his frustration is focused through squats'_  

 _' Is everything about intercourse to you?'_  

 _'_ _Absolutely_ _not_ _,_ _I am not_ _an animal_ _, I_ _t_ _hink_ _about food too."_ She replied. Alana glared at her, watching as a cheeky smile grew on Phe's face. 

Fury stood at the end of the table, overlooking the team he brought together.  When Alana sat down he extended his hand over to his left, bringing attention to the extra chair just next to him. As he opened his mouth to speak the team quickly silenced and listened in. His deep professional voice rang into the may ears around the room as he introduced their new guest. "As you all know, we do not possess any useful inside information on this secret Hydra base we will be attempting to infiltrate. Alana came to me with an idea to bring in a certain individual that not has not only had personal dealings with Hydra, but possesses skills that I feel could be very useful to the team. I pulled some strings and was able to convince her to join us. I would like you all to meet Liara Guerra."  

The woman was fair skinned, her body clearly carrying oil's even the sun would worship when given the opportunity. Her hair was shoulder length, the straight blonde strands flowing down to a very complimenting pastel pink color at the tips. Her face was slim and smooth, showing the face of a strong, independent middle-aged woman. She held the look of a leader, her posture straight and her hands intertwined tightly in front of her. The look of power and sophistication radiated off of her, but her eyes, should you look deeper into them, told a much different, deeper story. The bright yellow of her eyes soaked in the lights of the room, glowing like a freshly shined piece of gold. She looked guarded, ready to attack at even the slightest sign of trouble, but she looked tired, as if the only peace she found recently was simply being able to sit down. Alana knew straight away that if guarded was not the only thing Liara expressed emotionally, something had to be wrong.  

"Convinced is a strong word, but since you want to look all macho and perfect in front of your children, I'll let you have it."  She spoke, her voice was slightly southern, though as she continued to speak clear indications of her Spanish heritage wrapped around certain words. "Oh yeah, by the way tin man, yes,  _you_ Mr. Stark, as I was saying before you left , the next time you want to hack something to get information, you should tell the CPU to override the security mainframe, that way it doesn't send a message to the motherboard alerting everyone, in this case  _me_ , that you were preparing to sneak into my shit."  

"I don't need advice thank you. I will have you know that is exactly what I did. You put a secondary layer to manifest after the first break, _that_  I hadn't anticipated, no one ever thinks of that." He spoke, his attention focused on the girl right beside her. 

"That's because I know what I am doing, you'll never get in my systems. I'm sealed tighter than the pentagon. Take that how you will."  

 _"_ Can we please hurry this along, I would love to do something besides hear nerdy computer tips." Phe spoke aloud, earning a closed eye smirk from the pink tipped female.  

"Ah look, if it isn't the bitch herself. Why don't you just tune us out and ask Steve where he gets his pants from, I'm sure that will interest you. Or are you obsessing over the thing that lies limp behind the fabric?" Liara asked, turning her head to look down toward Phe with a smirk. She put such emphasis and sass on every word that no one, not even Alana could ever tell if she was being sarcastic, or if she was actually being serious. 

Small chuckles escaped the lips of the team, Fury, simply shook his head. Alana sighed and glanced over to Steve, who to her amusement, was sitting right next to Phe. He cleared his throat and shifted slightly, trying to brush off the small uncomfortable feeling he must have felt.   

"You know, Alana warned me about starting with you, but since you started, who says I can't finish?" Phe smirked, tilting her head sideways. 

"I do." Fury called out, still standing with his hands clasped behind him. "We have work to do-" 

"No, you  _wish_ you did eye patch, we are not sleeping together so you are not about to give me orders." Phe interrupted. "Speaking of sleeping together, is that how you and this dog know each other?"  

"Phe-" Alana warned. "No."

"What?" She asked raising her voice. "Neither he nor you are about to double team me. You need to get on her too, unless you are too scared to say anything since y'all are, as the humans say 'on the rocks' and you hate confrontation."   

Liara chuckled as she spoke, "First of all, no one is getting _on_ me, I don't do it like that.  Nick and I have a long history, it's not even that good of a story to be honest, no offense Nick, you're still cool." She spoke with a quick smile. "And Confrontation about what?" Liara asked, looking across the table to Alana. "I haven't talked to her in forever for us to confront anything." 

"Whoops." Clint whispered, sensing her jab.

"I am not sure I understand then, If neither of you have been in contact for some time, then what is troubling you both?" Vision asked confused.  

"Well upgraded Barney," Phe explained.  "Alana and Liara here were all good friends, I mean they did  _everything_ together, for the longest time they were inseparable, Then, without warning Alana just up and left. She didn't tell Liara a thing. No phone call, no email, not a single spoken word. It's been years since they have seen each other, to top it off, it was me who had to tell her she wasn't coming back."  

"Ouch." Clint spoke. "That's rough."  

"Seems like a one- sided story if you ask me." Natasha shrugged.  

"There has to be more to this story then that." Scott spoke aloud 

"That's because there is, but this is not the time." Alana confirmed. "I did what I did for a reason, that reason being Phe-"  

"Oh no cupcake, this is  _not_ on me." Phe interrupted. "What I did affected us, what you did affected yall."  

"Wait hold up, what did you do during this Phe?" Tony asked now interested in the gossip. 

"Don't worry about what I did, the bottom line is Alana screwed over the pooch and doesn't want to take responsibility for it because she's scared."  

"First of all, In no way am I scared, secondly you are so spinning this way out of proportion." Alana spoke. 

"Right. We did not do everything together, I happen to like sleeping and pissing on my own. Even if I did care about her sudden disappearance for a second, there has been enough time Iost between us both to where I could care less about it at all." Liara said with a shrug.  

"Don't play with me, I was there that day remember?" Phe spoke with a small finger wag. "You were so P.O'ed at her, half of what you told me to tell her would have surly hurt her feelings. You could have been a hairy version of hulk." She lifted her right hand and pointed across from her person to Bruce, who looked between the woman in confusion.  

Alana could feel her irritation starting to grow, Phe always had to air dirty laundry out to whoever had ears, it was undeniably infuriating. She did not like confrontation, that much may have been true, but if it was one thing that infuriated her more, it was feeling cornered. The uncomfortable feeling of overthinking mixed with unwanted personal attention would end up make her unreasonably upset. The way Phe was explaining it would no doubt make her look like the bad person in this situation, especially considering only half the portrait had been painted. In order to defend herself, she would have had to tell more than she could share, she was stuck, and Phe knew it.  

" I was mad for a time like I said, but I have other things to worry about, and holdin grudges is not one of them. Besides, I am a forgiving person, lucky you" Liara stated as she looked to Alana. "I know her. I figured if the time was right she'd talk, till then I did me like I always do." She sighed and turned her head away from Phe to stare forward. "Look, you can obsess over me like a child another time, I know you  _missed me_  but we have a plan to review, you got the blueprints patchy?"  

Fury sighed and shook his head at his old friend. He pulled out the Physical blueprints of the Base and spread it across the table. "If we are done playing Doctor Phill."

"Like you have anything better to do." Liara chuckled.

He glared down to the woman as he pointed down to a particular spot on the map. "This is the base."  

"Their security system is grade B, the only physical blueprints we have are of the outside. No one has ever made it out of there to report anything. Once I take their system down I'll be able to guide you through each room. But once the systems are down you will have a set amount of time to get to Fisher. Once that's done the alarm will sound and you will have to fight your way out."  

"There is no way to disable them completely?" Steve asked. "And you will be joining us I take it?

"I mean, I literally just said i am taking down their systems. So, logic would dictate that yes July fourth, I will be accompanying you. Be blessed."

"This building is powered by a generator." Bucky spoke pointing to the top of the building. "These lines along the roof are giving off energy that shields the building, leading to what could be center of the base here it should be located, chances are that item is more protected than him."  

"Metal alarm is right." Liara agreed. "I looked up this guys file, he is a low level general, his cargo and the information he possesses are the only things that are not expendable. Anyone can do his job."  

"I think the best approach for this is to break into teams, that way one can focus on getting Fisher, while the other can secure anything that may be of use. Then we meet in the middle." Steve suggested, much to the teams' approval.    

Fury nodded in agreement. "With this we at least have a head start, we have to do whatever we have to get to this weapon and fast. Liara will guide you from the carrier-"  

" _Liara_  will be helping from the field." Liara called out looking up to the man. "You want information that's useful, those computers at that base will get us something, and besides, Tony needs a bit more practice before he is ready for this kind of job."  

"I'm sorry, who figured out the secondary layer?" Tony asked, looking at the golden eyed female.  

"You did,  _after_  you got booted." Liara smirked. "When you can act like a big boy and not get caught, i'll take off your training wheels."

"You know what? Our Friendship shall blossom well." Tony nodded a small smile on his face.  

"When will all of this be happening?" Wanda asked, looking to Fury.  

"Best time would be during their shipment period, the real cargo is in those packages." Liara spoke. "They have cargo transported to them, meanwhile some are transported out on certain days, those packages could be anything."  

"They could have something related to the device." Sam noted.  

Liara nodded in agreement, un-clasping her hands or the first time to lay them flat on the table. "Nick had a couple of your trainees stalking the building, and judging by their pattern their next drop off for this facility is two days from today at Nineteen hundred hours. I say we bide our time and wait." 

"She's right, if we can get in and get out quicker I say it's worth the risk."  Natasha agreed.  

"Agreed, we need this to be as fast as possible." Steve nodded.  

"Then unless there are any objections, our goal is set. Before the mission we will debrief one more time just to make sure everything is as it should be, dismissed."  

Fury nodded and walked away from the table. The team got up from their chairs and dispersed, each person going to a different location. Liara stayed behind, her eyes staring forward blankly as she watched everyone leave.  

Alana, being the last to depart the room kept her glance on Liara as she moved slowly to the door, something was off about the yellow eyed female, it may have been a while since they were together but she knew Liara, no matter how long they were apart. If you knew her, you know she was alert twenty-four seven, only showing what she wants, when she wants to. Even the slightest slip of emotion was out of character, besides her unyielding sassiness. 

Alana looked down to the floor as her hand reached the handle, Liara then spoke up, her voice strong, yet cautious. "I did not tell him anything about you and the cosmic bitch just so you know, no need to worry." 

Alana looked up to face the door for only a second trying to keep herself calm. She turned her body slowly to look at the seated woman, her hand not leaving the handle. "I never thought you would tell,  _P_ _he_  on the other hand-" 

"I'm not surprised." She spoke, finally leaning back in the chair. "She blames everything she can on me, well except today, this was the first time I've ever seen her blame you for something...you must have really pissed her off."  

"Who haven't I pissed off?" Alana spoke rolling her eyes. She released the door, crossing her arms as she faced her friend."You look good."

"I know." She responded stroking a hair through her hair. "I always do, just because you left and stopped messin with me doesn't mean I was going to let myself go. No offense but you ain't all that."

Alana chuckled, shaking her head as she looked over her friend. "Liara look-"

"Nah." She stopped, holding up her hand. "Don't bother, I honestly don't want to hear about it. You did what you did because you wanted to. It's whatever, as long as you're not screwing any of my men anymore i'm good." 

Alana rolled her eyes. "That was not even me." 

"It was ya body, so it counts." 

"I see you still wear the purple ear implants." Alana gestured her head downward. 

"Have to." She nodded touching on the small glowing ear plug in her ear. "It dies down a lot of the sounds around me, helps me concentrate and relieves my horrible migraines. By the way, I may hate her but Phe is right on two counts,  _one_ , five minutes is definitely not good and two, Steve looks like he can go a couple of rounds, from the neck down he has his uses." 

"Oh my god can we not!" Alana spoke covering her ears, looking to Liara in disgust. Suddenly she paused, lowering her hands from her ears as she looked to Liara in suspicion. "Wait, how do you even know about that? Phe told me that with telepathy, not aloud."  

"The same way I know that Thor is gonna tell on you if you don't tell the team about what you did. Also, Loki? Seriously? Just no. oooohh scandalous, he is so ugly.."  

"Okay No he Isn't. Out of the many regrets I have he will never be one of them" Alana spoke her tone slightly harsh. " You're still connected to us telepathically?"  

"Bingo." Liara nodded pointing her finger toward Alana. "It cut back on as soon as you landed here, I've heard everything.I cant believe you were able to cut us off, you must know what you're doing now."  

"How come you didn't say anything? Let me know you were connected?"  

"Oh I would have...but seeing as how you left without telling me a thing for a long ass minute, then sent my mortal enemy to tell me you were cutting me off, I figured  _hey_  why not give my own small dose of Karma." Liara spoke with a small smile.   

Alana nodded, rolling her eyes up in her head as she responded. "I guess I deserved that." 

 "You deserve a punch in your left tit, but I am nice enough to not do it. Seriously though, Loki? Come on he is so...puny. You need a little more muscle in your life...like that one angry man, the Hulk _, ugh_ can you imagine." 

"His name is Bruce." Alana corrected. 

"I know who Bruce is, i was talking about the HULK." 

"What? Oh god no, he looks like broccoli."  

"Good, I'd love to try a healthier diet, consume healthier meals." She winked.  

"Oh my God seriously?" Alana called out again. " You have a thing for the hulk?"  

"I don't have a thing for anybody, I just know attractive men when I see it."  

"He is not a man, the Hulk is a whole beast." 

"Exactly." Liara smiled.

"Okay. Whatever helps you sleep." Alana nodded. "I see it in your face Liara. What's going on with you? I know there is something wrong."  

Liara shook her head and stood up from her chair, fixing her dark purple shirt and black zip up jacket.  "Nothing is wrong with me, if there is I'll be sure to contact you asap. I don't leave my so called friends in the dark."  

"Are you going to be making jabs like this all the time?"  

"Yep." Liara confirmed. She carried her feet to stand next to Alana at the door, a smile on her face. "Knowing your guilty complex this is going to make up for years' worth of silence, besides, I have to entertain myself somehow. I can't just pick on Tony, and my normal activities are  _way_ _too_ _loud_  so I'll just make my own fun."  

"Nice to know you haven't changed." Alana spoke with a smile.  

"Nice to know you finally picked a decent man to crush on for a change."  

"What? I do not have a crush."  

"You sure?"  

"Who exactly would I have a crush on?"

"Judging by the dried drool on your chin from earlier, I am going to go with the crippled ex assassin."

"Bucky?"

"Is that his name?" 

"I do not have a crush on Bucky."  

"Fine." Liara spoke with a shrug. "I'll just go up to him and turn on my charm, since you don't want him all of a sudden, we cannot waste such a man."  

"I will literally slit your throat." Alana spoke through gritted teeth.  

"Oh yeah,  _you_ _so_  don’t like him at all." Liara winked, Over passing Alana to exit the room.  


	10. It Sticks with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phe is visited by a member of the Avengers.

"Come on in spandex I know it's you." Phe called out to her closed door. The sudden backtrack she could feel in his feet made her chuckle. He may have known about her abilities, but it clearly threw him for a loop anytime she decided to use them. 

The door slid open, there stood the leader of the Avengers just behind the line of carpet that separated him from the entrance into her room. He stepped in slowly, looking around the carpeted room as if he expected something a lot tackier.  

"You can come in more ya know, I don't bite unless you ask." She winked in his direction as he gave a singular nod and took further steps toward her.

The super soldier once again looked around her room in hidden Awe.

"Just because I have a wild personality, doesn't mean I don’t clean up after myself old man." She smiled, picking up on his emotion.  

"Hmm? I never said-" 

"It's all in your face dude." She spoke closing her lips together. She closed her book, resting it on the table beside her. "Body movements and mannerisms are kinda my schtick."  

"Well I'm sorry if I offended, I meant no disrespect m'am." He spoke politely.  

"Offend me?" She asked in surprise. "Ha, Nah. Not in this life time, I've lived long enough to not take everything so seriously. And _please for the love of god_ _don’t call me_ _m'am_. That makes me feel way to old."  

"According to your new profile you are up in years." He smiled.  

"The dude who was frozen for seventy years is playing the age card, oh the irony." She nodded extending her hand to the vacant chair on the opposite side of the table. "So, care to give me an explanation for this  _personal_  house call."  

"Of course." He confirmed accepting her invitation to sit. "I really just wanted to talk for a bit, get to know you. These past couple days we have learned about Alana and nothing much on you."  

"Well your talking computer...what is it, F.R.i.D.A.Y.? Said she recorded everything that Bruce asked us." Phe stood up, picking up her chair and turning it to face him completely. She sat down, enjoying he fact she has a much better view of her visitor. 

"I did not mean powers." He conversed, his posture straight and dignified. "I meant  _you_  as a person. Personality, hobbies, anything." 

"Oh." She said plainly. She shifted her body to make herself more comfortable in her chair as she answered. "Well uh, I guess I'm, stubborn, sarcastic, sassy, smart, sophisticated, Spry, and those are just the S's. As for hobbies, I just tend to sit back, relax, and watch everyone around me die because compared to me they are a short-lived species."  

"That's pretty dark." Steve commented.  

"That's the truth." Phe rebutted. 

"Being four billion years old must have taken a toll on you. Seeing those you care about have to die while you live."  He called out.   

"What is up with you humans and rounding up?" She asked crossing her arms. "That should only apply to your paychecks. I said _two to three_." She shook her head, unfolding her arms so she could intertwine her own hands and rest them on the table in front of her. She looked down to her hands and clapped her thumbs together as she spoke.  "I will admit that in the beginning, watching so many people die while I lived on did have a minor effect on me. I often wondered why and how while I stood at the graves of people I didn't actually hate. Then, after a while, when you see it happen so many times you start to expect it. When you live as long as I have you see things, and those things stick with you." She admitted, a small smile playing on her lips. She looked up from her hands, her emerald eyes meeting his. "And sometimes, those memories you bury find their way back to you. It opens up those wounds that time could never heal."  

"Sounds like more than a _minor_ effect to me, you clearly hold a lot more pain than you care to admit." Steve noted, his eyes focusing on hers.  

She scoffed at him looking away for just a moment. "You got that from me talking about death?"

"I am pretty good at reading in between the lines." He answered.

"Ha, I can't tell." She retorted. 

"And that means?" 

"You tell me, you _are_ pretty good at reading in between the lines." She smirked. "One thing you will learn about me is that I am not afraid to admit anything, Sure I've made my fair share of what you call friends, but make no mistake Spandex, one perk of all this is that I get the pleasure of watching my  _Enemies_  die too. I've made more Enemies than friends over the course of my extremely long life time."  

"And this Liara is one of your enemies correct?" Steve asked her. "You did not take to kindly to her arrival, and she wasn't exactly happy to see you either."  

"I would not say she is my enemy per say." Phe smiled. "If I did, that would mean I classified her as a person, and trust me, I don't."  

"What happened between you two to cause such bad blood?"  

"She was born."  

"I take it this is something you  _won_ _'_ _t_  discuss."  

"There is nothing to discuss." She shrugged. " Look Steve, Liara and I have never like each other, even when we met officially for the first time we clashed in every direction. Working with each other has always been a necessary evil since we both are stuck with Alana,  _in fact_ I'm pretty sure the main reason Liara hates me is  _because_ of Alana."  

"Care to elaborate?"  

"Alana and I have always been... _close,_ our bond we share is not something Liara is exactly fond of, that and we share a very drama filled past."  

"So she is jealous because you and Alana are connected?"  

"Pretty much." She confirmed, nodding toward him. 

"That is not the best reason to hate someone Phe, there has to be more than that. She does not seem like the type of woman to hate without reason. "  

"She s _eems_  like it, that's the key word." Phe spoke unclasping her hands to wave her finger at Steve.  "In reality she is a Schizophrenic Psycho Bitch with raging control issues, and I mean that  _literally."_  

"I highly doubt Fury would bring in someone to the team that he knows could be detrimental to us."  

"He brought in Banner." Phe spoke matter of factly. "And If I recall correctly not to long ago he made Fury invest in a new helicarrier."  

"That was a long time ago, and it's not like he lost control willingly." Steve spoke in banners defense. "He has better control. Maybe Liara is different as well, it has been years since you have been acquainted."  

"Doubt it, you saw how she acted with me today, she still hates my guts. It's fine though, not like the feeling Isn't mutual." Phe shrugged.  

"If she is as crazy as you say, then why does Alana associate with her?" Steve asked. "Alana is a very kind woman." 

"Why does Alana have an undying love for a homicidal maniac like Loki?" 

"She had a relationship with Loki?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Yup. Didn't last long though. My point is she loves the unstable, probably because she feels she is unstable herself and wants to surround herself with people like her." Phe explained. "I mean hey, she seems to have taken a liking to Bucket and he is not exactly on the stable train either, no offense." She spoke, her hands going up in front of her.  

"Bucket?" Steve questioned, his face showing his confusion.

"You know, your Bff?"  

"You mean Bucky?"

"I meant Bucket." Phe corrected with a smile. "It's my little nickname for him, he loves it don't worry. Ya know I'm actually quite surprised, for as long as I've known her It usually takes Alana a lot longer to open up to anyone, she has major trust issues...but she has made friends with half the team in such a short time. Must be Thor's influence."  

"You and Alana have known each other for a while I take it?" Steve asked.  

"Yes." She confirmed. "I've known her since she was born, I had been on her home planet of Alfheim for a few years prior. It was a place I considered my home for a time. As soon as Alana was the proper age, her parents and I saw that she was trained properly, she had to retain all knowledge of the fiercest warriors and control her power through every distraction."  

"Sound like a lot of pressure." Steve noted.  

"It was." Phe confirmed. "But the training was necessary for her survival, if she could not handle gruesome home training what hope would she have in the field of battle?  Feeling uncomfortable or overwhelmed doesn't stop the world from spinning and she needed to know that. The amount of times she failed was not overlooked by her parents though, she was scolded pretty hard, each fail only meant harder tasks for her."  

"You don't think the expectations for her were a bit high? Everyone makes mistakes, she is one person."  

Phe smiled, her pearly teeth complimenting her deep red lip stick.  "Sure." 

"You don't seem to give out much sympathy for her." Steve commented.  

 "I'll give sympathy when the person is worthy of it." She stated simply. "She has a responsibility and she has to be ready for it at all times. The main goal was for her to see her potential, she has a tendency to sell herself short with most things."  

"I can understand the intention, but being reprimanded all the time is not healthy." Steve commented. "Everyone makes mistakes, it's how we learn. There is no need to be overly critical."   

"For Alana's sake being critical is what was needed." Phe placed her right elbow on the glass table, leaning forward slowly as she continued.  " Alana has this tendency to overthink things, she struggles with serious self-doubt. You will learn that soon enough. Even you know that could end up getting her or anyone under her command hurt on the battlefield. Her parents knew that too, they did what they did to harden her purposely. There is a such thing as caring too much."  

 Phe watched Steve nod in agreement, taking note what he was really thinking was the complete opposite. She was sure he knew the necessity of what they did, but she knew his undying need to do the right thing by all parties would cause some confliction. 

 "I may not agree but I am not one to judge." He finally spoke. "I have seen first-hand what self-doubt can do to the mind, but I do think there could have been a better way." 

"Well it's in the past now, what's done is done." Phe spoke. "Besides, you all seem to like her as she is anyway so no harm done right?"  

"To us no." Steve noted. "Alana may be a different story." 

"We all have our story." Phe spoke to him. "We all have our Scars, Alana will have to deal with hers, just like the rest of us."   

Steve paused, she could see him going through his thoughts to change the subject in an attempt to avoid any unnecessary arguing. "You spoke on Alana having a side relationship with Loki, did you ever connect with anyone?"  

"Why? Want to know if you have competition?"  

"I did not mean it in that way."  Steve spoke plainly, now fidgeting in his seat 

"I did." Phe spoke, her face serious. Suddenly she smiled, a small laugh escaping her lips. "Relax spandex, no need to become all unglued and uncomfortable I was just joking. I like messing with you, you're so innocent just like Alana I knew you would panic like that."  

"I didn't panic." He opposed.  

"You forget once again my dear sweet patriot, I can read everyone's body language, even the very defined ones." She winked. "Whew, gotta say all this talking has made me quite thirsty, would you like some water?"  

"Sure, I can get some from the lounge-" 

"Oh no need." She waved. She turned to her right, grabbing two empty silver cups from the bottom shelf of the door-less cupboard built into the wall next to them. She placed the cups in front of her, placing her hands over the top of the cups for only a moment. She removed her hands, smiling at him as she gently pushed one of the two cups to Steve. He grabbed it, his hands colliding with the cool surface of the cup. Looking inside he blinked in amazement as the once empty cup was now filled with fresh water and ice cubes. 

"I don't know if you like ice as much as I do so I only put a couple in yours I hope that's okay." She commented, nodding toward the cup.  

"How did you do that?" He asked looking up to her and down to the cup once more.  

"It's quite simple really." She started. "I can miniplate the atoms and matter in the atmosphere around me, so I focused a set amount of hydrogen and oxygen into the cup, that created the water. I did the same thing with the Ice cubes only I got the molecules to become a lot denser to make a solid. Try it, it’s a lot healthier when it comes straight from the air."  

He looked down to the cup, picking it up and drinking from it cautiously. Once he took a quick sip he placed it back down onto the table and looked up to her ready to give his verdict. "This is fantastic, I've never had a water that tasted so-"  

"Clean?" She asked, watching as he took another sip. "Yeah you guys suck at cleaning water, I mean you get it good enough to not kill you but, nothing is as good as taking it straight from the atmosphere. I even took out all those gross gases from the air pollution your kind created. What you are drinking is what water would taste like if the earth was pollution free."  

"Wow." He spoke. "What else can you make?"  

"Eh, nothing too big." She shrugged. "I made a tornado once, that did not end well, I seem to have trouble making them dissipate once I get them going. You would think I could do it being as awesome as I am but alas, even I make mistakes. Tragic."  

Steve smiled taking another sip before getting up from his seat. "Well, thank you for the water this has been a very enlightening experience." 

Phe nodded, standing up from her seat in respect. "Oh most definitely. Have you an opinion on me and my abilities then? Am I a horrific alien abomination that should be put to the torch?"  

Steve shook his head in disagreement. "On the contrary, I think you are a capable female with useful abilities that holds more in than people know for the sake of her own sanity."  

Phe blinked back in shock, not expecting such an answer from him. "And how in the world did you come up with  _t_ _hat_  opinion."  

Steve smiled slightly, his eyes keeping contact with her. "You are not the only one on this planet with observational skills Phe. It's all in the details. Thank you very much for the water, I look forward to our next little chat." With that, he escorted himself out the door.  

Phe smirked to herself as she watched him leave her quarters, the thought of a next time happily lingering in her mind.  

 


	11. Bloody Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury is informed of a secret ongoing investigation. Later, Liara is given some unfortunate news forcing her to think of new life altering alternatives.

"Having fun?" Fury asked, a small gust of outside wind hitting his skin. 

"Well I  _was_." The woman answered back plainly. 

"You know I gave you quarters with a balcony like this for a reason." Fury spoke with crossed arms, standing just behind the door that led to the balcony.   

"What, is it illegal for me to be out my room past eleven?" The yellow eyed female spoke, her back turned to the director.  

"No, I'm just letting you know that sitting outside on the balcony all night is not necessary since we both know that is what you planned on doing."  

"I like the outdoors, it calms my mind when I'm stressed." She stood at the balcony edge, the glass barrier keeping her safe from falling to the ground below. She continued to stare forward, her attention focused on the endless forest ahead of her. The moonlight illuminated the never-ending trees and mountains just beyond, creating the perfect night time scenery. "You should get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow."  

"Today."  

"Excuse me?"  

"Today." He repeated, walking through the door and taking a few steps to stand beside her. "It's midnight."  

Liara unfolded her arms and looked down to her watch, confirming the time she had just been given. "Well, look at that, so it is. Time flies when you're having fun by yourself."  

"What is troubling you?" He asked, a hint of slight concern wrapping around his words.  

"The fact that no matter where I go I cannot seem to find peace and quiet for more than five minutes." She smirked, taking a quick glance at him. She re-crossed her arms, her eyes going back to the fully clothed trees. 

Fury took his own glance at his longtime friend, not taking any offense to her blatant harsh sarcasm. He nodded and stared forward along with her, allowing silence to engulf them both.  

"Did you do what I asked Nick?" She asked, breaking the short silence between them both.  

"You ask for quite a lot." He noted, still starring forward. 

"You're love and attention is a lot to ask for I know." She spoke with a smirk. "But I'm taking a break from trying to woo you, since you refuse to give me what I crave. You know I chase no man. I meant the other thing, you know what I mean."  

"With that attitude I should keep it." He noted with a small smile, taking a small vile out of his inside jacket pocket. "The blood has been diluted, tested through every form possible from the best scientist's possible, there was no change. I'm sorry."  

"Don't be." She retorted taking the vial from him, sticking it in her left jacket pocket. "I did not really expect anything to work anyway, the only people who can help me are the people who did this to me."  

"I don't think Hydra has any plans on helping destroy what they created." He pressed.  "Has she-" 

"Tried to resurface?" She finished, taking a quick glance at him. "Yes. She tries quite often actually, she picks at the small things that get on my nerves to try and slip out but no worries, the wolf blood is in control. She can only resurface if I am not mentally strong enough, so basically I'm fine."  

"Full moons still giving you trouble?"  

"A little." She confirmed. " I take extra precautions on days like that. I don't transform into a full wolf or anything, you know they never got far enough in their experiments for that. I exhibit the same abilities as one, with some added benefits. The problem is usually keeping the enhanced bloodlust at bay, but I got mental training from some monks' a while back, taught me some things. One of them had the most amazing chest hair oh  _man_ , that was so worth the trip."  

"You have no sense." He commented shaking his head. 

"I don't." She conversed with a smile shaking her head. Her sarcastic and flirtatious nature often gave people the wrong impression of her and she knew it, in fact, she liked it, she thrived on it. Everyone would always question her true motives, her sense of loyalty, her sense of passion. She was the mystery no one could solve and in her mind, it was better that way. 

"A split wolf personality created by Hydra, that would have people talking."  

"Let them, it'll remind me of the good o'l days back in  _M_ _exico_. I loved when people would talk about me, made me feel all tingly inside." She smiled. "But Anyway, back to Hydra fixing what they broke."  

"To them you're their greatest achievement, they'll never consider you a failure."  

"By the time I'm through with them they'll change their mind. I started wiping them out years ago, letting them know that I was coming for, what I wanted. I plan on collection soon."  

"As much as I sympathize and want to help, that is not our main concern. We have an objective Liara."  

"Is that why you came out here Nick, to give me my vial in an attempt to keep me in check and make sure I have no plans on ruining your wittle mission." She mocked like a child, pushing her lips out as she turned to look at him.  

"No."  

"No? Okay, Wanna fool around outside then? My blood keeps my body warm so we can cuddle on the couch after." She winked.  

"Liara.." 

"Relax boo, don't get your panties in a twist." She laughed. "Hmm, you in panties. Now that is a sight I'd enjoy. They would so have to be purple though, you gotta sport my favorite color."  

"Jesus Liara." Fury spoke pinching the bridge of his nose.

" _Ohhh_ , say my name again." She teased. 

"You're unbearable."  

"Many men would disagree there, they live for my charm and my delicious rolls, just say the word and I'll give you a sneak peek."  

Fury rolled his eyes, making the decision to ignore her statement completely. "How are the upgraded earphones treating you?"  

"Good enough." She answered, her finger grazing over her right ear lightly. "The base makes listening to my music a lot better than the $3.99 Walmart ones I buy. I could tell by the box I was being spoiled."  

"How about the room?"  

"That's fine too." She confirmed. "No sound goes in, no sound goes out, perfect for my other hobbies."  

"Liara...." Fury exclaimed.  

"What?" She asked innocently. "I meant my  _yoga_  dirty Dan, sheesh and you say I have the dirty mind."   

"You clearly are a lot calmer than you were earlier." He noted. "I have never seen you so tense." 

"You knew I was tense and did not offer a massage? Wow, rude, this is why I go to the outdoors to calm me when I'm stressed."  

"If I had to guess, I would say that the stress deals partly with our two Alien guests?"  

"Ha, you wish. They don't bother me in the least, they are more of a side project. Like some of the men I talk to. By the way don't let bitch bird hear you say the A word, she'll hound you with  _hours_  of terrible alien jokes because she hates it. Trust me, I'm saving at least two hours of your time, you're welcome."  

"I'm going to assume Phe is the one you gave the colorful nickname too." He called out while crossing his arms.  

"You assume correctly." She confirmed.  

"Care to explain the story there?" 

"Her name is Phoenix like the bird and she is bitch. The end." She conversed plainly, a fake smile on her face.  

"That's not what I meant."  

"The story is way too long and I want to go to bed, your ruined my quiet time." She spoke in annoyance.  

Liara turned away from him, the moonlight giving a shine to the blonde strands resting on the back of her head.  

"There is one more thing I wanted to ask you." He called out suddenly, turning around to watch her begin to walk away.  

"Well you better get it out before I get out that door, otherwise the only thing I'll hear is; 'Liara I'm calling out to you, come, get a well-deserved sleep', I imagine that's what my bed would say if it talked."  

"Should I be suspicious of your friends?" Fury asked, no longer beating around the bush. She stopped just in front of the exit, turning around to face him as he continued. "I am putting a lot of blind faith in women I just met, and since you ironically seem to be the only one on earth with any background information on them both I need to know if what they are saying could actually be true."  

 Liara chuckled, looking down to the ground and nodding momentarily as she found her own way to answer his question. "My personal opinion is yes you can. Though I could also say no, I would be vigilant from this point forth patchy, I have a feeling there is more to this mission than you have been told."  

"And what does that mean?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at her. 

"It means Exactly what I said, pay attention."  

"So I can't trust them?"  

"Yes and No"  

"That does not really give me an answer to my question."  

"Yes it does."  

"Can I or Can't I? "  

"I'll take both for three hundred Alex." 

"What the hell Liara-" 

"Oh for god sake Nick, what is the point of being the director if you can't read context clues?"  

"Your deflection of the question says more than you think it does."  

"Really?" Liara asked sarcastically, a smirk playing on her face. "Wow I hadn't noticed. Since I'm oh sooo stupid all of a sudden, do enlighten me, what  _does_ it tell you?."  

Fury looked to her, his eyes squinting in suspicion. The feeling of realization washed over him as he nodded in understanding. "You  _want_  me to keep digging on them."   

"Not  _them_." She corrected. "I'm talking about Alana, Sherlock. You're not the only one digging. I protect my friends, Alana is a friend but unlike her counterpart she has secrets. Secrets that need outed. Even some Bitch bird doesn't know about. We do know that those secrets may or may not pertain to your current mission. "  

"We?"  

"God, are you gonna make me say her name? I vomit every time."  

"Phoenix?"  

"Yeah that one." She spoke her face contorting in disgust. "Phe is convinced Alana is hiding something, I spoke to her momentarily when I first got here despite my better judgment, apparently her mannerisms when the mission was being explained is causing some suspicion.  

"And what exactly do you all think she is hiding?" Fury asked, his head tilting to the side slightly. 

 "That's what we are trying to find out." She explained. " It started when Phe brought up the fact that Alana cut her off telepathically out of nowhere, Alana avoided the conversation and tried making it about Phe not going with her to Asgard.  Then the meeting had her all up in her feelings. Phe figured with Thor being her new best friend that he would have information or some type of hidden subconscious memory, she tried getting information from Thor's brain but somehow Alana was able to block her."  

"If Thor knew something, he would come forward." Fury defended. "Especially if it puts anyone in danger."  

"Sure." She commented with a slight shrug. 

"Look, I can see why there may be some suspicion, but why trust the woman you claim to hate?"  

"It's not a claim, I  _hate_  her. And because when it comes to Alana she doesn't lie." She explained. "Alana is Phe's sole responsibility, she is the only thing Phe legitimately cares about, plus if she is coming to me for anything at all there must be something goin on, I still hold some mistrust but whatever."  

 "So that's why you want to go on the ground mission." He concluded.  

She nodded. "That and some other things, but there are a lot of plot holes opening since she got back, and I yearn for the opportunity to get holes filled. Of course, these are not the ones I prefer but hey, gotta start somewhere."  

Fury rolled his eyes as he started his next thought. "How long had you planned on keeping this from me?'  

"Until I had solid evidence." She answered. "Like I said, I hold some mistrust, and let's face it you are more of the 'if I can see it and I can touch it then it's real' type of guy. " She continued. "Everything is speculation right now, we don't even know what we are looking for. So do not say a word to your little gossip girl group yet."  

"If you do this, I want to be kept informed on anything you find." He commanded. A hint of reluctance in his voice as he sighed. "In return I'll keep this on the down low, but the first sign of trouble Liara- " 

"I know, I know, you take over and blah blah blah, don't worry baby I know the rules." She spoke rolling her eyes.  "Goodnight Nicholas."  

She gave him one last small smile as she turned away from her friend to exit the tower balcony. She allowed her feet to carry her slowly down the hallway, giving her a chance to enjoy the quiet that accompanied the seemingly barren corridor.  As she reached the halfway mark to her quarters she stopped, the smell of fresh eucalyptus mint engulfing her nose. She sighed in annoyance, forcing herself to walk further while the smell gradually became stronger and stronger with each step she took. As she finally approached her room the mint mixed with a toxic tar smell, the overpowering stench of death caused her to scrunch her nose up in disgust as she stopped two doors away from her room.  

"You smell like hot tar, it's disgusting." Liara called out, her hands resting in her purple zip up jacket pocket.   

"You smell like wet dog and I don't even have the enhanced smell ability, so what does that say about you?" Phe retorted, leaning against the hybrids door with her right shoulder, her arms crossed against her chest.  

"Get away from my room door you fetid toucan." Liara spoke harshly, walking toward the white-haired female.  

"Awe, after all you said in my favor to your man a few minutes ago, one would think we were making progress in our hate, hate relationship." She smiled, pushing her shoulder off the door, allowing Liara to gain access to her room.  "Be careful Scooby, keep sticking up for me like that and people may think you actually  _like_  me."  

"What the hell do you want." Liara spoke entering her quarters. Phe followed not far behind, walking inside Liara's territory, completely uninvited.  

"Nothing much." She answered plainly. "See, I was minding my own business-" 

"I find that hard to believe." Liara interrupted.  

"I was minding. My. Own. Business." Phe began again, ignoring the woman's interruption. "Then I decided to eavesdrop on your conversation since ya know, I wanted to, and something peaked my interest."  

"Let me guess, the part where we mention your name, right? Right because you're are soo Narcissitic, I mean, you love hearing about you." She sat down at her computer desk, taking a second to tap her computer screen to check the time illuminated on her screen saver. 

"I mean yes." She confirmed with a nod. "But I was more interested in that little Vial you're hiding in your left jacket pocket."  

"It's a pocket genius, the vial is naturally covered by the fabric, I'm not hiding anything. However, You never keep clothes on for long so I can see why you'd be confused. " Liara called out to her, her tone remaining harsh. "We done?"  

"Nope." Phe stated plainly. She opened her hand and smiled, watching the vial lift from her pocket in seconds, landing in her now closed fist. She held it up to her eyes, spinning it in every direction as she observed the metallic liquid concealed within. 

"Anyone ever tell you it's not nice to steal other people's things?" Liara asked, though it was apparent she did not care that Phe had her property in her possession.  

"I'm not taking it, I'm just looking at it."  

"See with your eyes not with your hands is also a common saying."  

"And we both know how  _boring_ that is." Phe winked, her attention going back to the vial in her hands. "Fun fact, Hydra is not going to be able to fix you."  

"Surprise, surprise you are giving me the same speech everyone else has given me, I am not discussing this with you so give me my crap and get out." Liara spoke, holding out her hand to the female in front of her.  

"Nah, see those people gave you that speech to stop you from going out getting hurt." Phe explained. Liara lowered her hand, her eyes squinting toward the alien in annoyance as she continued to speak. "I could give a rats ass about you getting hurt or you going after Hydra. I'm just telling you, like your existence, It's a lost cause.  

Liara looked at Phe, her face becoming completely unreadable. She watched as the woman took a seat on the black loveseat backed against the wall to her left, next to her computer desk. Phe took her arms and stretched them out along the head of the furniture, clearly not willing to leave until Liara agreed to hear her out. She hated talking to this woman longer than necessary, but she knew the woman was almost as stubborn as she was annoying. Liara took a few seconds to weigh her options carefully. Grabbing her neck and throwing her out was an option, she greatly considered, in fact it was her favorite, but she would be lying to herself if she did not admit that she was slightly curious on Phe's alien hypothesis of her situation. Phe was always quite knowledgeable when it came to science, not that she would even give Phe the satisfaction of knowing that. Liara figured if she was willing to go to Hydra for any type of assistance, then maybe at least hearing what she had to say would not be as bad.   

"I can see the wheels turning even with your unreadable face so I'm just gonna explain, do try and keep up, I hate repeating myself." Phe started throwing the vial at Liara, which she caught with ease, her eyes not leaving the green-eyed woman "I looked at the chemical composition in your blood just now through the vial, the wolf blood they used when they made you is completely ingrained into your DNA structure and each blood cell of your body. It replicates at an accelerated rate, meaning it also adapts at the same speed. That's why none of your so-called contacts can't find a cure, because there  _isn't_  one." Phe smiled, nodding toward the vial in in Liara's hand. "And slowly but surely, it's starting to completely reshape each cell and DNA strand, eventually the only thing left of you will be the wolf blood, meaning-"  

"She gets out for good." Liara finished, a crooked smile resting on her face. The yellow eyed Hybrid refused to make eye contact with emerald eyes, partially because she could picture herself ripping the cocky woman's throat out with her teeth. She knew Phe took joy in telling her the unfortunate report, anything that brought Liara even the slightest ounce of misery was what she fed on since their unfortunate meeting. The only thing that made the situation worse was that the caramel skinned bitch was right. Deep down she knew the truth, which was why she was not surprised Fury had no success in his many attempts to help her. Maybe it was her stubbornness that forced her to cling to any once of hope because in reality, there was none. She smirked to herself realizing that in the grand scheme of things, she did not even like life telling her what to do. She fought because she wanted to, not because she needed to.  

"You can't fix your blood that's a definite no go,  _but_ , I may be able to offer a temporary alternative to your little issue." Phe offered.  

The look of pure disbelief stretched across Liara's face. " _Ha_ , you want offer me help? as disgustingly touching as that is -" 

"Whoa whoa." Phe interrupted, her hands raising. "Help, is a strong word. I prefer, extending my genius insight to an undeserving delinquent."   

"Careful Zazu, keep offering help like this and people may start to think you like me." Lara mocked, going back to Phe's previous comment. "Which brings me to my next question, why the sudden urge to help little o'l me? You saw what all the others see and want a sample? Sorry sweetheart, you're not my type."  

"Okay gross. That's disgusting." Phe spoke, her face contorting in disgust as her hand lowered back down on the couch. "I would never as long as I live, which is a very long time might I add, want anything to do with you or your fleas."  

"You sure? I mean I can't tell, clearly you obsess over me, stalking me when I first arrive, listening in on my conversations, waiting for me at my door...the signs keep flying." Liara spoke with a sarcastic smirk.  

Phe sat up from the couch, her posture now straight as she held a hand to her mouth. "I think I puked a little...sorry none came out, I know dogs love to eat vomit" She spoke, clearly trying to change the subject.  

"Daw, now you want to feed me, it's cute really. Still not my type though so." Liara shrugged, finding amusement in making Phe uncomfortable. "Now tell me this plan so you can leave and I can spray my room to get your stink out."  

Phe rolled her eyes at the hybrid, she clasped her hands together and rested them gently on her legs. "Your blood is completely contaminated, making any filtering impossible-"  

"You said that already." Liara interrupted.   

"Shut. Up. and let me finish.  _Jesus C_ _hrist._ " Phe expressed in annoyance. " _Anyway,_  we can't stop  _your_  blood from changing, but we can put blood that is not contaminated in your system. With enough, the fresh blood in your system will combat the contaminated cells and keep you from going all crazy eyed, evil, blood thirsty and stuff."  

"Okay?" Liara noted, clearly expecting more of an explanation. "I am not a hematologist, I may like anatomy but I skipped that mandatory course at MIT. Get to the point?"  

Phe closed her eyes sighed to herself. She shifted herself on the couch, turning so she could face Liara. "God it's like talking to a newborn monkey. Look Scooby dumb, as you know all blood is composed of liquids and solids, the liquid is Plasma, and the solids consist of red blood cells, white blood cells, and the platelets. All of this is made thanks to your highly inferior bone marrow. Basically, what would happen is, we will find your specific blood type and not only will we inject the blood directly into your system, but also directly into the bone marrow, that will create healthy white and red blood cells to flow through your system which will combat the contaminated cells for a time."  

"For a time?" Liara asked, her brows raising.  

Phe nodded. "Eventually, the new blood will become contaminated through its cycle because of the potency of the wolf serum." She explained. "Which is why I said it's a  _temporary_  fix, in order to keep your blood stable, you would need continuous extensive treatments which is highly dependent on how fast your body filters the new blood."  

"Well bitch bird as we know I take great joy putting things in me, but this is seriously not what I had I mind." She conversed, her back resting comfortably on the chair as she spun back and forth lightly. "Has this ever even been done before? How do you even know this would work? And FYI, I don't trust you enough to ever let you inject me with anything."  

"Oh, I'm not injecting you with anything." She smiled.  "I had to literally force myself to do  _this_ , you think I'm gonna waste more energy  _actually_  helping you? Pft fat chance. I just know if you go postal Alana will blame me somehow." Phe rebutted. "And for the record, it's bloody science you need to trust not me, something similar to this was performed on two people that I know of. That one ugly dude obsessed with hulk, I think his name is General Ross or something, injected some Russian British SWAT dude with an off-brand hulk serum a few years back, he got big, ugly and went nuts with power. It did not last long, Hulk kicked his ass I saw the vid. The other was Bruce banner himself, he got injected with what he thought would cure the 'hulk' issue but only worked for a short time."  

"I am aware if both instances, but how do you know all this?" Liara asked in suspicion.  

"It's in his file." She spoke calmly. "I got bored after my guest left me yesterday so I phased into their file room and read all their files."  

"Lame." Liara called out, earning a raised brow from Phe.  

"Well excuse me, I'm not a geek like you so hacking computers for info is not something I wanted to waste my time on. Anyway, if anyone should do the injecting I would suggest talking to Banner, he knows this crap more than anyone."  

Liara's face sported a new crooked smile, one that made Phe glare at her in distrust.  "Banner huh? Now you are speaking my language, he can inject me with anything he so desires."  

"You've got to be kidding me." Phe whispered, shaking her head.  

"I kid you not." Liara answered, knowing her comment was not completely directed at her.  

"You have terrible taste in men, though I'm not surprised, I mean look at you." She spoke, pushing her eyebrow as she eyed the woman.  

"Oh I assure you I do look at me often, and I love what I see." She winked. "I like my men sophisticated and manly, we all can't like pretty boy's like Rogers, who to me is really not all that, though I can give him ten out of ten for the ghetto booty."   

Phe arose from her seat, a grunt of pure hatred and annoyance escaping her lips. "I hate you."  

"That's nice, Steve doesn't hate me though, that's what matters." Liara tilted her head and smiled. Turning her chair to face her computer she scooted the chair in comfortably enough with her legs as she began typing something into her computer. Her focus remained on the computer, though her ears processed the sound of her room door sliding open. The door lightly closed, making Liara sigh in happiness knowing she could finally take the time to think of her next move.  


	12. Team B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang begin their mission to the Hydra Base, and during the mission deep secrets finally come to light.

 

It was time. The sun gracefully said it's goodbyes as the people of New York welcomed the bright New Moon. Nineteen hundred hours was fast approaching as the team prepared for their infiltration mission. Once the plan was once again broken down and explained, the respected team of superheroes broke up into their teams, piling into their mode of transportation consisting of a singular army truck and a cloaked jet. The procedure was simple, Team A, consisting of Scott, Clint, Wanda, Vision, Tony and Liara, would be in the back of a carefully disguised Semi-truck while wearing specially made cyber masks, disguising them as hydra soldiers. Natasha, who will also be in disguise and can speak fluent German, will drive the truck and ensure their entrance into the facility by posing as If they are arriving for a scheduled transport of cargo. Once in the lower garage they will enter the base and infiltrate the security room, where Liara will hack into their systems and disable the main power generator. Once the generator is down, the main shield will drop. From there team B, consisting of Sam, Thor, Steve, Bucky, Bruce, Alana and Phe, will have two minutes to drop down from their concealed jet above the facility, retrieve fisher and download any data they can retrieve. Once two minutes has concluded, the backup power that cannot be deactivated will initiate, forcing the team to fight their way out of the facility to their freedom.  

"Are you sure these disguises will get us in?" Scott asked aloud. "I just....I don't feel like a Hydra soldier, I look like I work in a law firm, I mean, just  _look_  at these cheekbones."  

 _"Your face is so_ _defin_ _ed because you are_ _disguised_ _as a_ _German, their bone structure is G_ _od like."_  Phe responded, her voice radiating through each earpiece of Team A.  _"And_ _yes_ _I am sure, I stalked each of these men all morning and made sure the pictures your little spies took were indeed accurate. After I_ _eliminated_ _them, that means killed_ _Alana, I know you struggle with big words."_  

The team heard an exasperated sigh following Phe's comment. It was not hard to imagine the redhaired female rolling her eyes at her counterpart's jab.  

" _They will think you all are each man reporting in for duty_ _no question, all thanks to my photographic memory aiding agent hill_ _when_ _she made you_ _your_ _little play masks_ _."_ Phe spoke, her pride wrapping around each word.  

" _Photographic memory?_   _Phe_ _y_ _ou_ _took a picture of their faces on files with your phone and sent them to Agent hill."_ Alana noted, earning a range of snickers from the team.  

" _Well no one_ _knew_ _that until you decided to snitch, asshole."_ Phe called out to her.  

" _Alright,_ _let's_ _focus_   _guys."_ Steve spoke, ending the argument.  _"Natasha, how close are you to the facility?"_  

"We'll be pulling up in the next couple streets." Natasha spoke, her voice disguised as if she was strong German man.  

"Wow Nat, I'm having a hard time finding the differences between your voice and the dude you're disguised as." Clint conversed, his head leaning downward slightly, a playful smile appearing on his face.  

"The difference is my hands, they are a lot heavier now, great for harder punching. Want me to demonstrate?" She asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.  

"Never mind." Clint spoke, sitting back in his seat.  

"If you two are done flirting." Liara began. "I need you all to remember that once that generator is down we all are compromised; Team A will only have two minutes to get fisher on the Jet before the backup system activates and the shield is back up, so you guys up there better be ready to drop on my mark, and no I do not mean your pants Phe, I know you struggle with not being a slut." Liara spoke, her voice strong.  

 _"Keep it up_ _you_ _mangy mutt and I will take you to the pound where you belong."_  Phe spoke harshly though the ear piece.  

" _Phe_ _.._ _"_  Steve spoke, his voice berating.  

 _"She started it!"_  Phe spoke.  

 _"What did we talk about this morning."_ He asked her.  

 _"But she-, how is this-, ugh whatever."_  She spoke in a huff, clearly pouting.  

"That's right, listen to your man. _"_ Liara spoke again. "Less he will just have to punish you, though maybe that is what you want." 

"Liara, lets not do this now please." Alana pleaded.

" _Whatever_." Phe called into the earpiece, clearly biting her tongue.

"Oh Oh what's this?" Liara asked, pushing her specially made earpiece into her ear. "I'm hearing some tension in your voice there Phoenix. whats the matter? Did Steve not give you what you wanted when you guys talked this morning? Interesting."  She teased.  

 _"This is where you_ _Shut. Up._ _Y_ _ou_ _incompetent_ _swine."_ Phe scolded through gritted teeth.  

 "The only way out after is through the garage, and out the way we came." Liara explained with a smile, very satisfied with herself. 

"Wait, how will we all get out if the whole facility is shielded again? Won't our escape be shielded too?" Wanda asked, her voice soft and curious.  

"I'm glad you asked, hey hi this is where I come in. The Inventor extraordinaire." Tony started, raising his hand as he smiled.  " Hooked below this truck are particle disrupters that Bruce and I designed, we will be able to drive straight through the shield as if it was never there."  

"We're here." Natasha called. " I'm making the turn into the base now."  

"Alright, show time." Scott called clapping his hands together. "How's my hair?"  

XX

While Team A officially set their ground plan in motion, just above the clouds, the Jet hovered above the base incognito, inside sat Team B, making sure they were properly equipped as they awaited the signal from the experienced hacker.  

Phe unbuckled her clamped chest seatbelt and stood up, her long ponytail flinging gracefully as the jet rocked side to side. She fixed her official avengers battle suit that was gifted to her by Natasha.   

"I don't understand why you did not take the suit Natasha had for you." Phe commented looking down to her counterpart. 

"I did take it." Alana corrected. "I just am not wearing it, I like my suit that I have now." 

"But you wear it _all_ the time, so much so that I question it's cleanliness. Have some variety for a change." She spoke with a shake of the head. 

"I will wear it, just not now, and I wash all my clothes Phe." 

"I will admit I am quite pissed that yours looks so much better than mine, like they took time to make yours all special and Alanafied, while mine looks like it was taken from Natasha's closet." 

"You and I both know you're going to change the suit Phe." Alana started. "That and had they personalize yours, you would have changed it anyway."

"Eh, true." Phe agreed looking herself over. "Ya know, all in all, I really like this suit. It seriously fits in  _all_ the right places. If I dye my hair orange, Nat and I could be twins."  

"No you would not." Alana called, now unclasping her belt. "She has a figure, you do not."  

"I will have you know my figure is just fine." Phe retorted. Looking in front of her, she watched as Alana stood up fixing her own attire. She looked back down to her outfit moving her hands to roam down her body slowly. "Do tell me, was her figure the first thing you go-go eyed over? Or is all your attention still on Bucky and his hair?"  

"Drop dead you bothersome parasite." Alana called out through gritted teeth.  

"You came for me first you obnoxious jezebel." Phe retorted quickly.  

"Alana, are you doing alright?" Thor spoke walking up to stand to her right. "It's almost time."  

"Oh look, your brother slash boyfriend is here to check on you, how adorable." Phe smirked.  

Alana glared at Phe before turning to Thor with a small smile, deciding to not dignify her counterparts comment with a response. "Yeah, I'm okay, the faster we do this the faster we can get out of here."  

"You are no stranger to the battlefield, what  _exactly_ do you have to be worried about?" Phe asked her. Alana looked up and Thor, then took a quick glance at Phe who was eyeing her with suspicion.  

"It's been a while." Alana answered, her silver eyes meeting Phe's emerald ones.   

Alana blinked and took a breath, noticing immediately that Phe did not believe the answer she had given in the slightest. Her face was blank, but her eyes read that she was clearly suspicious, causing nervousness to grow inside the fire haired female's bones as she watched Phe nod, seemingly dropping the subject altogether. Alana quickly took note of how completely out of character it was for Phe to let anything go as if it was nothing, but she remined silent, not wanting to bring up any unwanted tension before such an important mission.  

"Well." Phe began taking two small steps forward to stand in front of Alana. "As much as I would love to show off my outfit and impress the men in uniform, I think we both know what we have to do." Phe extended her hands, a devilish smirk growing on her face.  

Alana looked down to the extended hands in front of her in reluctance. She had gone through so much in the last two years, she contemplated if what Phe was asking was truly necessary. Not to mention she only learned how to block Phe from her mind on the outside. 

"I mean....do we have to?" Alana asked, taking a quick glance at Thor who looked between them both. He knew exactly what Phe was asking, it was one of the first things she ever confided to him.  

"Um, yeah." Phe smiled. "Trust me I don't like it either, but you know we are stronger this way, and besides, I'm not too sure you are ready to stand alone just yet."  

" _We're in."_ Each member of Team A heard Natasha say into the earpiece.  _"_ _We are reaching the lower garage in t-minus 3 minutes."_  

"What makes you think she is not ready?" Thor called in defense of Alana. "She has trained long and hard with myself and my father, not to mention asguard finest warriors, she could very well stand on her own without you."  

"Asgard finest huh? That does not exactly scream  _battle ready_   since your team seems to get their butt kicked on a monthly basis but okay. I'm glad you have such unwavering confidence in her though." Phe smiled in his direction, her tone sarcastic.  

"Phe, how will I ever test my abilities if I don't at least try?" She asked.  

"You can test your new found mental capabilities when we don't have lives and valuable intel on the line." Phe spoke, her voice becoming firm and dominant.  She lowered her hands to her hips, her back becoming perfectly straight. "The answer is no."  

"Since when do you care about others lives?" Alana asked with a raised brow. 

"Once again, you only listen to half of what I said." Phe complained. "I said lives _and_ valuable intel." 

"My question still stands." 

"No, your plot to stall and get out of this has been rejected."

"Phe-" 

"No." Phe called out again, her tone rising. "You can be pissed at me all you want for not trusting you, quite frankly I don't give a damn, but we  _are_  doing this and that's final."  

"You can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do." Thor spoke grabbing onto Alana's arm defensively.  

" _We have reached the_ _garage."_ Clint called out. " _Vision has_ _phased_ _underground_ _heading to find and_ _secure_ _the_ _s_ _ecurity room, stand by."_  

"Butt out blondie." Phe spoke harshly. "Just because you taught her a few flips and mantras does not mean you automatically know how her mind is going to operate."  

"Is there a problem?" Steve asked walking up to the trio, standing behind him stood the rest of the B team, slight confusion resting on their faces.  

"Yes." Phe confirmed. "Loki's disrespectful peasant of a brother is really starting to piss me off."  

"Is this really the time?" Bruce asked, his eyes going between both women.  

"I don't know." Phe answered taking a quick glance toward the scientist. "Ask him." 

"Have care how you speak." Thor threatened. His tone becoming slightly darker. He dropped his hand off of Alana's arm to turn his body to face the irate alien. 

"Or what big boy?" She asked turning her body to face him. She took a step, getting closer to his person. "You think I'm scared of some over buffed electrical outlet?"  

"Phe please, that's enough." Alana whispered, walking in front of Thor to grab hold of her counterpart's arm. "I'll do it's just- …...It's been a while"  

"That's quickly becoming your new catchphrase." Phe announced, her eyes still not leaving the protective God of thunder.  

Thor glared down to the woman. Clearly not accepting Alana's decision, he turned to look at his friend, his usual concerned eyes meeting hers. "Are you sure about this?"  

" _Vision has secured the security room, Seventh_ _floor. We're making our way_ _to_ _the stairwell."_ Natasha called into the communication device.  

"I'm sure Thor." Alana nodded with a smile. "You of all people know we can't run away from our responsibilities. Odin did tell us that after all." Her eyes went to Phe as she made a singular nod in her direction. "This is mine, and no, I'm not just doing this because she is acting cranky."  

"Look whatever this is it will  _have_ to be settled, Now. "Steve called out hurriedly. "We cannot afford to have any distractions or tension going into this. So whatever this is, figure it out, and lets go."  

Thor sighed heavily, looking to Steve he nodded in agreement and returned his attention to the Emerald eyed female. "I have Alana's best interests at heart, you may not see it but she has changed."  

Phe clicked her tongue between her teeth and nodded. Alana could tell she was slowly becoming uncomfortable with the conversation. The seriousness and apologetic nature of Thor was something Phe was not used to dealing with. "Yeah well, thanks for that I guess. That's one thing we have in common." She held her hand out to Thor, allowing him to take it. "I know what I am doing, trust me when I say she won't come to harm in my care, she  _never_  has."  

" _We've reached the security room,_ _Stand_ _by"_ Natasha informed.  

"Standing by." Steve called out to her activating his com signal.  

"We better go now, Liara will be giving us the signal at any moment." Bucky noted, clicking the safety off of his gun, and slipping his knives in their respected holster. 

 Steve nodded, ushering for Thor, Sam and Bruce to stand at the hanger door, preparing for the drop.  

"Once we are in, Thor will glide back up to the jet with Fisher and secure him, the rest of us will have to fight out way out." Steve informed, slipping his mask on his face and securing his shield.  

"Not necessary." Phe called out, now standing next to Alana. "We need as many heavy hands as possible to get out of here, even with the Bruce as hulk we are sure to run into a butt load of soldiers. I'll have enough power to directly phase him back up here, your security guards are capable enough to not let him escape right?"  

"I mean yes, but-"  

"Good." Phe finished, turning to look Alana. "Are you ready?" 

Alana took a breath and nodded. "As ready as you I can be."  

The one thing Alana did not have the luxury of since she came back here was time. Wether she was ready or not she knew what she had to do. Though she had been trained well on her own world, and had the pleasure of being taught by Asgards finest, there was still the ever growing feeling of insecurity that lingered in the back of her mind. It wasn't that she did not want to do this Phe, it was that she did not want Phe to see anything that would cause her to have even less trust in her.  No matter how much she was taught, no matter how well she did, she still somehow managed to make mistakes, there was proof enough of that already. Even now, Phe's suspicions gave her even more proof that she was slipping and that her time was quickly running out. She prayed to herself that whatever she faced today, would solidify any hope that she did have some control.  

" _Alright, I'm through the first firewall."_ They heard through the com. Liara spoke with focus and authority. " _On my mark, get ready to jump through."_  

Phe took one small step forward and extended her hands to her counterpart. Alana nodded, reaching her hands outward and placing them gently on top of Phe's. She closed her eyes and focused, feeling her skin begin to tingle and surge with growing power. Her eyes flashed open, her silver eyes now turning red, the aura of raging flame appearing in her eyes and around the two women's bodies. 

The team watched in surprise, confusion and slight awe at what was transpiring just next to them. A shining white light grew between the women before the unyielding brightness became too much for any of the men to take. They covered their eyes with their arms, turning away as to stop themselves from going blind. The brightness finally began to dim, giving the men the signal to look back over to their newest additions to the team. They blinked in confusion as their eyes adjusted, noticing that Alana stood before them, but Phe was nowhere to be found.  

Bucky, being the first to come back to reality, forced his feet to walk slow and steady toward the woman, not knowing what to expect if he approached to quickly or to loudly. His metal hand reached out slowly, landing comfortingly on her right shoulder as he found his own courage to speak up. "Alana?"  

The fire-haired woman turned to face Bucky, her eyes not meeting his. Her hair rested in front of her face as she looked down, her breathing slightly off beat, her hands slightly shaking.  

"Alana are you alright?" He asked with more confidence.  

She finally made eye contact with Bucky, her eyes a bright red instead of their usual silver. Finding her composure, she rested a hand on his shoulder as a playful sarcastic smirk played on her face. "As much as I love this physical contact between Bucket, It's me. Her better half."  

Bucky dropped his hand and looked at the body of Alana, confused on what he heard. "Phe?"  

"I love the way you said my name just now, brings me back to a very confusing yet pleasurable time. But yes, you guessed it, but don't worry. Little Alana is fine, you just can't hear her talk."   

 _God_ _Phe_ _please don't start._ Alana spoke telepathically.  

"What the hell is going on? Where is Alana?" Sam asked, clearly looking at Alana's body.  

"No time to explain sexy chocolate, we have a mission to complete." She smiled, sliding her hand from Bucky's shoulder as she made her way to the hanger door.  

She walked up to the men who looked at her with confusion. She looked to Steve, who's eyes were following her every move. She smiled, crossing her arms as she spoke "Look, to be fair Steve, I told you Alana and I were close, I just failed to mention the  _extent_  of our connection."  

"Well this is a surprise I wasn't expecting." Bruce spoke aloud. "You did not mention this in our interview."  

"That's where the  _I_ _failed_ _to mention_  part comes in Brucey." She winked. 

"This is that  _connection_  Liara is not to fond of I take it?" Steve spoke, finding his professional composure. Alana could see and hear everything Phe did now that they were one entity again. She could not help but feel a pang of guilt when she saw the look Bucky had given them. Phe easily pushed Alana's emotion to the back, focusing solely on giving Steve anything to keep him satisfied with what he just saw. 

"Yup." 

"Why did you not tell me?" Steve asked her.

"I will explain more after the mission, clearly we have a lot more to discuss." She smiled.  

" _Second wall is down, almost there."_ Liara spoke.  

Phe reached across from Steve and pressed the button opening the Jets hatch. Winds from the cloaked propellers flooded inside the Jet, causing Alana's hair to frantically wave around her. Phe took a moment to look down at the roof above, finding the glass she would ultimately have to fall through.  

"Fisher is down there, sitting in some ugly brown chair typing on his very cheap laptop." Phe commented. "Looks like about twelve guards are in there with him, I'm sure we can take them out no problem. I'll get fisher and Phase him up here, Sam can start the download and we can go from there." She looked up to the rest of her Team, their eyes still fixated on her.  

Phe rolled her eyes and slapped her arms at her sides. "Oh come on guys we are still us, we are just merged. It's no different than baby Bruce and the Hulk. I promise you we will explain  _after_  the mission is done."  

"Is this safe?" Steve asked, eyeing Phe is suspicion.  

Phe smiled, walking carefully up to Steve and grabbing his left arm with her left hand. "Don't worry Spandex, we will be fine, we have been doing this since the beginning of Alana's time, hey would you look at that...I made a Rhyme."  

" _Shield is down g_ _o now!"_ Liara demanded into the Com.  

Phe smirked and ran to the edge of the hanger, jumping off the hanger's door and busting through the glass, landing on the ground of Fishers office with one Knee. She shot up quickly, turning to face fisher with a devilish smile. The curly haired man looked up at her in pure fear, pushing his seat back he stood up with force, stepping backwards with his hands up, clearly not expecting the drop in.  

"Männer, Eindringling! Schießen sie schießen sie!" ( **Men, intruder! Shoot her, Shoot her!)** He called out quickly. Pointing to her.  

The men raised their guns preparing to shoot. Suddenly Steve appeared in front of her, dropping to her position and raising his shield, protecting her from incoming fire. He ran to her left attacking the closest guard in his range. Bucky, Sam, and the now transformed Bruce dropped shortly after, quickly joining the battle. Hulk growled loudly, jumping forward and grabbing one man by the leg, throwing him head first into the wall beside him. 

Fisher, amongst the chaos, tried sneaking around his desk, running toward the door to find his freedom. Just as he extended his hand toward the knob of the door, Phe appeared in front of him, grabbing him by the collar of his now wrinkled grey suit.  

"Going somewhere?" She asked with a smile, her hand blocking the door. She watched his face contort in pure horror as she spoke again. "Don't worry, I'll answer that for you darling,  _yes_ _you are_. However your next destination is not what you were expecting. Hold tight sweat pea. This is really gonna hurt." She put her palm on his face, his screams pleasant music to her ears as his body slowly disappeared. She turned to face the team, the soldiers who were once protecting their target down and out.   

" _Fisher is secure sir, we have him."_ They heard through the com. Steve acknowledged the unnamed guardsman, giving the order to transfer him back to the Avengers base. He then announced to team A the success of their capture. Meanwhile, Sam began downloading the information on Fishers laptop plugging in a small USB drive to the side of the general's laptop. 

 _"Alright, the_ _shield_ _is going to go back up in_ _thirty_ _seconds."_  Liara explained. " _Y_ _ou all are currently on the tenth_ _floor. They know we are here so you are going to have to fight oyur way down, once you all_ _exit that_ _room turn_ _your left, the exit will be down the hall four doors to the right."_  

"How many men we talking?" Sam asked, still typing on the computer.  

" _You have a good dozen heading to your position now, more men are_ _sure_ _to follow."_ She answered. You could hear her fingers typing steadily away against the keys. 

 _"We can meet here on the Seventh floor, it will be easier to fight them all_ _with_ _all of us together."_ Clint suggested.  

"Agreed, can you all hold your own till we get there?" Steve asked.  

 _"Are you kidding?"_  Scott chuckled.  _"I've broken out of_ _prison_ _s_ _with more people."_  

 _"Ten seconds."_  Liara counted.  

"Almost done." Sam spoke aloud. "Got it." He ripped the USB from the jack, closing the laptop and securing it in his pocket.  

" _Generator is back on, more soldiers are approaching your_ _position. You_ _have about seven seconds_ _"_ Tony announced.  

"Well, I say giant green man goes first." Phe spoke, her thumb gesturing to her left. "He loves smashing things right?" She looked over to the hulk, he looked at her and huffed, a single nod in her direction. "I'll go next, since this is basically a cake walk for me. The rest of you follow and do what yall do best eh?"  

 _"Five seconds."_  Tony called out.  

"Can we even trust you?" Bucky asked her, his eyes narrowing in distrust.  

Alana, once again felt a pang of guilt in her chest, one Phe had to push back once again. " _Will you quit it? Just talk to him and he will crush on you all over again you love sick Puddle of fruit punch."_  

 _"I just got him-, I just got them to accept me_ _Phe_ _."_ She called out telepathically.  _"None of them will trust me again."_  

 _"_ _Well, now you know what Lies can do, live and learn sugar pie. If they can't accept your baggage, they are not worth your time to begin with anyway."_  Phe called out, causing Alana to become silent once again.  

"I guess you will just have to find out, now won't you?" She called out with a smirk. "Last time I checked you're not exactly open with everything about you either."  

 _"Three seconds_ _. Can you guys argue when like,_ _we are not about to die? I don't_ _know_ _just a suggestion._ _"_  Tony called into the ear piece.  

 _"_ Hulk, go  _now_ _!"_  Steve ordered. "Phe will go behind." He nodded, looking over to Hulk who nodded, punching the door open, causing it to collapse on three guards who were about to bust in. He jumped forward, yelling in satisfaction as scattered sounds of bullets flooded the hallway.  

Phe nodded and turned around, running forward. Alana's red heeled boots clicked loudly on top of the door above the three men, squishing them further. She turned to her left, taking note of the many men lying on the floor thanks to the hulk. She smiled brightly at the guards who raised their guns to her, their weapons were of professional hydra design, upgraded M16 class weaponry, her own personal favorite. They fired in her direction, not anticipating her fast reflexes. She phased immediately, appearing just behind him.  

"Hey cuties I'm right here." She called aloud to them. They turned, slightly flustered at her sudden reappearance, but gaining composure quickly as they tried shooting at her again. She held up her right hand, causing their guns to float away from their hands and into the air. She forced her raised hand forward pushing the guards against the wall with amazing force. They cashed against the wall, many of them flying through the building glass to their inevitable demise.  

She sighed, walking forward to find the exit door, leaving any other guards she missed for the rest of the team to deal with.  

" _Phe_ _we have to wait for them!"_  Alana yelled to Phe.  

"What for?" Phe asked aloud, dodging more bullets being shot at her. She ran toward the door, grabbing a guard's gun and pushing it upward, forcing bullets into the ceiling. She rolled her eyes and shoved him through the exit door, causing him to fall through the door and roll down the steps. "They do this stuff for a living Alana, they are just fine."  

 _"That is not the point!"_  She exclaimed.  _"What if they need us?"_  

"They....have not needed us...... on any. Other. mission." Phe answered aloud once again. Dodging bullets and punching fiercely at countless men. "This is no different, stop acting like such a wuss."  

Phe looked down he edge of the stairs, the many rails of stairs spiraling downward almost endlessly. She caught a quick glimpse of the green giant himself, a slew of bullets flying in his direction. Suddenly he disappeared and a man flew opposite his direction, flying into what she assumed was a large group of people. She descended down the stairs, the sounds of bullets and cries of pain filling her ears from every direction. Phe approached the second to last floor smiling triumphantly at her easy escape. Before she could meet up with the A team, she felt her body being pushed against the door, causing her to fly backwards into the room behind her. Her head hit the tiles hard, feelings of discomfort and anger flowing through her.  

"okay, OW!" She yelled, her hand reaching to hold the back of her head. "Damn it, that hurt!" She hopped up, straightening her outfit as she looked to see what hit her.  

 _"Ow_ _!_ _Be careful_ _with my body, I'm the one who is going to be sore not you._ " Alana spoke with a huff.  

"You act like I did that on purpose, something hit and made me go backwards you idiot." She hissed. She walked back outside, looking in every direction to find the culprit.  

Suddenly, Phe was shot back again, sending her back to the floor. Alana's long red leather jacket slid her backwards on the floor. Phe groaned, sitting up once again and fixing her outfit. "Okay." She began cracking Alana's neck. "Now consider me _officially_  pissed off _._ " 

 _"That was disgusting, you cracked my neck!"_  Alana commented.   

"That's not the only thing I'm gonna crack if you don't shut the hell up." Phe growled, looking forward to the door, which was no longer vacant.  

In front of her stood a man, very muscular in shape. His vest was heavy, his combat pants sporting many pockets. His hair was shaved, as if he was a marine veteran. His neck was bulky, his veins pulsing in sync with his arm veins. His mouth was covered with a mask, but his eyes were a vacant, bright ocean blue. He clutched a heavy black gun in his hand, the Barrell still smoking, indicating that he was the one who shot her... _twice._  

 _"Shit."_ Alana sighed upon seeing the man in front of them.  

" _Language_." Phe spoke to her via telepathy for the first time.  

 _"_ _Ya_ _know."_  Phe began aloud, walking slowly toward the man. "Ifthis were a different time, I would totally be turned on by the fact that you shot me, _twice_. Believe it or not I found out I have a bit of a gun kink." She kept walking forward, watching his chest rise and fall, his breathing loud. He did not answer her, instead he continued to stare forward at her, his legs slightly apart.  

"Not much of a talker I see." She continued, her feet still carrying her forward slightly before she stopped, not to far ahead of him. "Well that's good, I do like em quiet."   

"Sie haben viel zu beantworten." ( **You have a lot to answer for.)**  He spoke through his mask, the muffled deep sounds of his German accent giving her goosebumps.  

"Do I?" She spoke with a raised brow. "Last time I checked I report to no one."  

"Spiel nicht!" He yelled to her, causing her to step back slightly. "Du stehst auf der Seite des Feindes"  **(Do not Play! You side with the enemy!)**  

"Um well, I mean technically to them and a lot of others,  _you_ guys are the enemy. And since Majority is like, a huge deal on this planet you kinda lost this argument. Sorry Princess." Phe answered, knowing she was making him angrier.  

 _"Uh,_ _Phe_ _....maybe we should just take him out and go."_  Alana suggested, her voice low. 

 _"_ _Maybe we should, doesn't mean I will_ _."_  Phe spoke back to her. " _I have to figure out what the hell he just shot us with...that shit hurt_ _....._ _like_ _seriously_ _._ _"_  

 _"_ Verräter! Du sollst im Namen der Hydra sterben!" ( **Betrayer** **!** **You** **shall** **die in** **the** **name** **of** **Hydra!)**  

"How did I betray you?" Phe asked, clearly playing with fire. "Last time I checked you are the one who shot me, and you don't even know me so." She shrugged with an innocent smile. 

"Deltora muss sterben" He spoke plainly, now walking toward her, his gun descending in her direction. **(** **Deltora must die.)**  

"Wait hold up, what did you say? _Deltroa_? Bitchyou know him?" Phe spoke aloud, her voice shocked and slightly pissed as she started taking small steps backward.  

 _"I_ _don't_ _know_ _him,_ _i_ _have_ _no_ _idea_ _who_ _that_ _is_ _!"_  She defended.  _"_ _I've_ _never_ _seen_ _him_ _in_ _my_ _life."_  

 _"W_ _ell big daddy knows you Alana, and whatever you did has him highly pissed off."_ Phe spoke back to her via telepathy.  

The man stopped, spreading his feet apart slightly, positioning his weapon at her, preparing to fire.  

" _Alana_ _I swear to god, if I get hit one more time, when we are separated,_ _I am going to shave your head bald. Now what the hell did you do!"_ She yelled to her.  

 _"Nothing, I am telling you, I don't know him."_ Alana answered, her voice sincere.  

There was a blue light generating quickly from the Barrell of the gun, the man fired, sending a blast of blue energy right at the joined aliens.  

"Oh for  _f_ _ucks_ sake!" Phe yelled, quickly rolling out the way and arising with ease. Phe raised her hand, sending the man flying backwards toward the door she previously got blasted through. The man quickly stood up, seemingly unharmed. He held the gun forward again, generating another beam to shoot in her direction. Phe stood up, her posture straight and determined as she closed her eyes quickly, her body becoming transparent as the ball flew through her and hit the wall, creating a large hole that showed the outside of the base.  

" _That_ is what hit me?" She turned to the man a look of disbelief on her face. "Are you serious?! What the hell did she do to you dude this is some serious revenge plotting!"  

He shot at her again, forcing Phe to jump over the beam and roll forward, making her a lot closer to the built assassin. She slid effortlessly in front of him, standing in his face and snatching the gun. Holding the gun by the barrell in her left hand she shut her hand tight, her hand steaming as she melted the barrel closed, dropping it to the ground in front of them.  

"Ha, not so tough without ya gun now are you." She breathed out to him.  

He lifted his fist and swung to which she easily deflected with a simple duck. She moved swiftly to her right punching him straight in his jaw, which forced his head to knock into the wall opposite them, knocking his mask completely off and creating a dent in the wall.  

He got up once again, turning to face her, his eyes were now nothing but blood thirsty, his breathing rushed and erratic. She looked down to his lips, noticing a large scar resting on his chin, and a deep burn mark stretching across his lips. The burn mark was not fresh, but it was clearly acquired in a certain one to two-year span. Clearly his superiors tried to fix him, and natural healing had done all it could, making him permanently disfigured.  

"Oh  _shit_  , man that is just gross." Phe spoke in disgust, her face showing what she felt. "What the hell happened to you?"  

With a loud roar of anger he charged at her, not giving her enough time to move before his built hands rested around her throat, his grip squeezing tighter and tighter around her neck slowly.  

"Okay." Phe grunted, feeling her body start to lose oxygen. "This is....soooo not fun anymore. I like being choked in a  _good_  way, this aint it."  

Phe grabbed the mans hand, trying to find the proper position to pry his hand off of her throat. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, bullets still flying on the outside of the corridor. She turned to the door as much as she could, waiting for the right moment to call out.  

Bucky was the first man in her eye sight, coming down the stairs, his gun raised and his focus determined. He walked down the last step, turning himself and his gun toward their position as if checking to make sure that the area was secure. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him, his gun dropping only momentarily so he could survey his target. He held up his gun, both hands tightly securing his weapon as he began walking forward.  

 _"Look at that, Bucket came to our rescue!"_  Phe laughed to Alana via telepathy.  " _See? He totally still digs you."_  

 _"Not the time_ _Phe_ _!"_  Alana spoke quickly.  _"Stop him before he gets hurt."_

 _"_ _Dawww_ _you care."_ Phe mocked.  

"Let her go." Bucky spoke, his voice rough and demanding, gaining the mans attention.  

"Don't..worry bucket." Phe spoke, still slightly losing air. "I got this, I know men who choke  _wayy_  harder than this."   

"I won't ask again." He announced ignoring Phe's comment. "I said let her go."  

"No seriously Bucket, do not....come any....closer. This dude can take some hits." Phe warned again.  

"Wintersoldat, Verräter." He called out, looking to Bucky with the same dark dead eyes. ( **Winter** **Soldier** **,** **Betrayer** **.)**  

The man dropped Phe to the ground, causing her to cough slightly as she tried regaining the breath she lost. 

The man charged at Bucky, eating the serious of bullets Bucky shot at him. The man took a quick swing, to which Bucky dodged with ease. He dropped his gun, engaging the muscular man in hand to hand, matching his movements and dodges.  

"Wow." Phe whispered out, her one knee resting on the floor, her breathing now regular. "I have to admit, your man just got like... _thirty time_ s hotter just now."  

" _Phe."_  Alana announced in worry. _"What the hell go help him!"_   

"I mean i don't know, I am really enjoying this dominaint side of Bucky. Like, wow."

" _PHOENIX_." Alana exclaimed. "Don't make me say your-"

"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a bunch." She agreed, standing up slowly, her right leg slightly sore.  

Phe went to move in their direction, but when the man punched Bucky straight in the abdomen, sending him flying out the room and into the strain railing, she stopped in her tracks.  

"Oh shit." Phe spoke plainly.  

 _"That's it."_  Alana called out at the same time.  

Phe looked down to Bucky's body watching him slowly push himself from the ground. She quickly turned her attention back to the burnt man watching as he slowly turned back to face her. Phe stood her ground waiting for the man to approach her once again.  

He stomped over to her with determination, reading to possibly strangle her again. His left fist balled up, and with what seemed like all the force he had, he went to strike, his aim lining up with the middle of her face.  Phe raised her left hand, catching his fist within inches of her nose with no trouble at all. He went to remove it, but to no avail, she gripped him tight, her hands squeezing tight. He looked to her, his eyes shocked by her sudden strong defense. He lifted his other hand and attempted to hit her, but again she caught him, giving him no way of escape.  

Bucky arose from the ground, a small groan escaping his mouth as the aftershock of the heavy blow his stomach absorbed was instantly felt. His mind clicked the pieces together, the memories of his encounter with the man showering over him.  _Alana._  He thought to himself. She.....well, Phe in Alana's body was being attacked. He shot up, ready to come to her defense again when he paused, watching as he realized she was no longer in any danger at all.  

He watched as the man struggle against Phes grip, he could not see his expression as his back was to him, but by the look of complete concentration and anger on Phe's face, he would image he looked to her in terror. Suddenly the man yelped in dire agony, dropping to his knees while Phe's grip remined on both his hands, his face unchanging as she watched him fall.  

 _"That was unwise."_ Phe spoke to the man. He heard a hint of Alana's voice seeping though, though he could still here the deep sophistication of Phe, it was as if their voices became layered with one another, much like their current merge. He could feel the power, the strength and the dangerous echoing of death flowing with each word, sending a shot of fear down his own spine, something he had never felt before, even during his time with hydra. 

The man began speaking frantically in German, pleading for her to stop, to let go of his hands, which according to him, she completely crushed. Her face remined unreadable and her hands remined clutched around his. If he as looking for mercy, Bucky could see, he would find none.  

Alana's hair began to lift slightly, a suspicious wind beginning to pick up around them. As the wind picked up, Alana's body began to glow, a red and orange aura surrounding her as if it was a part of her hidden shadow. Her breathing began to quicken, and her head arose slightly, her eyes remaining focused on the man at her feet. Her eyes began to glow, the image of a frantic flame appearing in her pupils. Pulsing red veins began to appear below her eyes, stopping just next to her flaring nostrils. Bucky watched as they transitioned from red, to a soulless black.  

" _You wanted to kill_ _me_ _, here is your chance_ _._ _"_ The woman spoke, knowing he was unable to do a thing. He pleaded again, but as before his words bounced off closed ears.  _"No? Fine."_  She spoke plainly. She Dropped his arms, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him from the floor. The man's arms dropped to his side, his hands crumpled up from Phe's crushing grip. His feet kicked foolishly in defiance. Realizing he had no hope in escaping, the assassin cursed at her in German, calling her the fire eyed devil. The woman looked forward, her eyes meeting with Bucky's who started back in bewilderment. She looked back to the man, unmoved by Bucky's prescience as she tilted her head sideways.  

The man, no longer squirming became limp in Alana's hand. She dropped him to the floor, his body plopping hard to the ground. The small winds around them quieted, the bright aura around the woman now gone. Bucky looked to the ground, seeing smoke rise from the now deceased man's face. Bucky walked forward, observing how his eyes were completely burned from his skull as if scooped out with a scorching hot spoon.  

Bucky looked up to her, his mind filling with thoughts, and questions. She could sense it immediately, reading only a few of the endless things running through his mind. She took a breath, bending down to pick up the gun that she had made useless just minutes before. Phe looked up, meeting his curious eyes with her own, her face looking tired and defeated. Within the blink of eye, she smiled her usual sarcastic smirk, only this time, Bucky could see the clear pain behind it.  

"He hit me with this damn thing twice and sent me flying, that  _shit_ aint normal." Phe commented. "The me flying part, not me getting hit...that's actually, quite common. I figure if we bring this back to your smart science people you can see what they used and like...do stuff or whatever. Now let's go, we have a team to meet up with." With that she walked past him, gun in hand. She quickly made her way out the door to join the ongoing battle just floors below. He took a breath and shook his head, regaining his composure and running out to join her.  


	13. Finish up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Phe work together to try and randevu with the rest of the team, and escape the Hydra base

Whenever Phe and Bucky spoke to each other, it was short and to the point. They mutually agreed to speak only of their current objective, finding their team.  They descended down each floor rather quickly, fighting through groups of stragglers their team unintentionally left behind. Bucky reported to Phe that Liara had to find an alternative route to the seventh floor for the rest of Team A after a horde of guards came and attacked them, blocking their exit. Bucky had already begun his descent down the stairwell before the exit was blocked, hence his lone presence. Phe simply nodded in understanding, proceeding forward to find the rest of the team as quickly as possible.  

As the duo reached the Seventh floor they stopped, observing the long corridor in front of them. Bodies stretched to the very end of the hall, showing the team, or perhaps the hulk had indeed, come through this way. Each side of the wall held six rooms, the doors broken from their hinges. 

"You hear that?" Phe asked looking to her left at Bucky.  

"Sounds like rapid gunfire." He confirmed. His grip on his gun tightening.  

She nodded, her focus returning forward. "Alright Bucket let's make this quick, I don't feel shifting in any of these rooms but stay sharp. I'm not trying to deal with another buff and ugly today." She visibly winced at her choice of words but pushed forward, her heels clicking rapidly against the tiles as she carefully avoided the bodies. She switched the heavy gun she acquired from the assassin to her right hand, her fist quickly clenching against the handle of the gun, as if it was her personal stress ball.  

It was not hard to tell Bucky was at war with his own mind after what he just witnessed. Now that he was able to at least partially collect his thoughts, he could not help but steal occasional glances at the woman walking in front of him as he began to question his own morals. The two women exerted power that should have caused him to turn his weapon on them immediately. His instinct to fight and defend should have activated like they did any other time.  However, his thoughts kept going back to the fear he felt when those lifeless red eyes met his. It struck something in him, something he himself could only describe as, _familia_ _r_. It was as if this was not the first time he has witnessed that type of power.  Maybe it was his imagination in an attempt to add normalcy to the situation, or perhaps it was something else.  His gut was leaning toward option two, but how would that even be possible? Was there more than what he was seeing? Was there something he was missing?

"Just so we are clear, walking on egg shells around me is a quick way to piss me off." Phe called out. 

"Just so we are clear, I'm not walking on egg shells around you, I'm surveying the are cautiously." Bucky retorted. 

"Lying is also another way to piss me off." She rebutted. 

"I'm not lying." 

"Sure you're not." She whispered to herself. 

 _"I should make your ass t_ _alk_ _to him,_ _If_ _he bits his tongue any harder it's_ _gonna_ _bleed._ " Phe conversed via telepathy, her tone extremely harsh. 

" _He looked scared."_ Alana spoke. 

Phe shook her head lightly in disagreement before answering. _"He looked curious to me."_  

 _"_ _I mean, no doubt he is_ _going_ _to have questions. What we did is not exactly normal_ _._ " Alana noted to her. 

 _"Or maybe, and stay with me on this, he is staring to_ _ya_ _know, figure it out?"_ Phe called out sarcastically. " _Dude was legit looking at us like he_ _remembered_ _everything."_  

 _"Well that's not what I saw."_ Alana expressed. 

 _"_ _Of course_ _you didn't."_  

The bullets became even louder, causing the duo to quicken their pace further, their determination to reach them increasing with each step. 

 _"Let's say he was slightly_ _triggered,_ _You_ _think he is going_ _t_ _o_ _tel_ _l Steve_ _?"_  

 _"Duh, the guy_ _tells him everything_ _."_ _Phe_ _answered._  

 _"_ _How do_ _you think he'll_ _take it?_ _"_ Alana asked. 

 _"_ _Hell_ _if I know._ _"_ _Phe_ _retorted, her tone once again_ _extreme_ _ly_ _harsh._  

" _Why are you so angry all of a_ _su_ _-"_  

 _"Don't even go there, you_ _know_ _exactly why I am pissed off."_ She interrupted. 

Phe and Bucky turned the corner, in their eyesight were more Hydra soldiers, along with Wanda, Sam, Clint and Scott. Bucky charged forward, firing bullets and making his way over to aid Sam. Phe dropped the gun behind one of the crates, pushing her way over to Wanda.  

"Where the hell have you been?!" Sam yelled out to Bucky, kicking a hydra soldier in the stomach before taking cover. "We thought you got captured or something."  

"Sorry. Got held up." Bucky spoke, sliding to meet Sam behind his cover, taking shots at the men ahead. "We reached out on com's but got nothing."  

"Dude, we called you like eighty times." Sam explained. "We got nothing from you and assumed the worst." Bucky took cover once more to look at Sam in confusion. He pressed his hand to his com signal, feeling the rough material in his hand, suddenly, he had a thought. He removed the piece from his ear, observing the piece technology in his hand. The tip was slightly burned, causing him to conclude that the wiring inside had been melted from the inside. He threw the useless piece to the ground, recapturing a steady hold on his gun. " _We_ ran into some communication issues." He commented, raising up to shoot more bullets. 

Phe, having overheard their conversation, froze momentarily before she reached her intended destination. Grabbing a soldier by his head, she threw him out the window in front of her. She ran to cover behind a wall, ripping the ear piece out of her ear and examining it.  

 _"_ _Oh_ _my god seriously?_ _You_ _completely_ _fried this thing_ _._ _"_ She groaned, throwing the technology down to the ground.  

 _"_ _My bad._ _"_ Alana stated, causing Phe to roll her eyes.  

Phe turned from the wall, sliding over to aid the wavy-haired witch. "Where is everyone else?" She asked Wanda, dodging incoming bullets.  

"Making their way the to the garage." Wanda answered, her hands controlling her magic. 

"What?" Phe asked confused. "Well why the hell are you four still here?" She raised her hand to catch the man Wanda threw with her magic, slamming him to the ground hard, knocking him out.  

Wanda conjured a magical shield in front of Phe, the bullets that were shot at her bouncing off. "We had a few minutes, so we stayed behind, waiting just in case you guys showed up."  

"Right." Phe nodded, having nothing else to contribute. She raised her hand, flinging the last of the men backwards into the wall. "Well we showed up, now lets go." She walked back to the crate she hid the gun picking it up and quickly examining the weapon for any access damage. 

"What's that?" Wanda asked her, looking down at the gun.  

Phe looked up to her, dropping the gun to rest at he right side. "Something that could be useful, I need ya peeps to examine it, now lets go." She ordered again. 

"Wait, where is Phe?" Clint asked standing near their next exit.  

Phe rolled her eyes and turned to Sam. "Dude...seriously? You didn't tell them?"  

"Oh I'm sorry, I was too busy being focused on not getting shot at." Sam spit out. " _You_ should have said something earlier."  

"Say what, what's going on?" Scott asked walking his way over to join the rest of the team.  

Phe took a secretive glance over to Bucky, looking for any sort of reaction from him.  He quietly returned her gaze, not bothering to say a word.  

Phe blinked and took a deep sigh. She groaned, stomping her feet on the ground like a child. "Okay okay long story short, I'm not Alana I'm Phe. Alana is in my head we fight together I'll explain at base lets go." She explained quickly, walking toward Clint.  

 "Wait you're not Alana?" Clint asked pointing at her.  

"No." She answered.  

"So if you're Phe, Where is Alana then?" Scott asked, clearly confused.  

"I _am_ Phe, in Alana's body." She explained, quickly becoming irritated. 

"You're _in_ Alana's body?" Scott questioned. 

"Yes." 

"So what happened to your body?" Clint asked, also very confused.  

Phe rolled her eyes, sighed deep once more. "It's resting."  

"Resting where?" Scott asked. 

"In Alana's head." She explained. 

"Your body is in Alana's head?" Clint asked her in shock.  

"How is this so hard to grasp?" Phe asked in annoyance. "We don't even sound the same. This is my _regular_ voice." 

"Ya know, now that you mention it, Alana's voice is a lot higher." Scott nodded. 

"Oh my god, your friends could be like _dying_ right now, can we like help them and do this later?" She yelled, pushing past Clint to the exit the room.  

They each looked amongst each other and nodded, piling over to the door to meet with the others.  

The six team mates, rushed down the corridor, fighting more soldiers the lower they got. Finally, after what felt like eternity, the were able to finally meet with the rest of the group, finding their own set of soldiers to fight on the last floor just before the garage they needed to reach to escape. Phe realized they had entered the main control room. It was very spacious, filled with loads of technology, along with crates, and the very generator they originally disabled to get inside. Another wave of reinforcements had busted their way through unexpectedly, giving the team plenty of more men to fight through. 

"How is there this many men in such a small building!" Clint called out, dropping down to microscopic size, then reemerging as his regular sized self, knocking a soldier out cold.  

"It's not hard to fit lots of men in small spaces." The she wolf called out, whipping her gun across one mans face, while punching another man with her free hand. "I should know, I used to do it very well." She smirked, rolling herself over to find better cover.   

"Don't let her fool you, she still does it, just not as well as she claims, she just doesn't want to look slutty." Phe called out, catching a guards hand in her own, tossing him upwards in the air and forcing him to fall on the floor with a hard thud.  

Liara looked to her friend's body and glared, knowing full well what went down not to long ago with the joined women a few floors up. She overheard their telepathic conversation, taking note of every harsh tone and excuses from both. "I see you finally decided to join us." She spoke, shooting an incoming soldier behind her. "What kept you?"  

"If you _haven't_ noticed, we are currently.... in a highly fortified Hydra base, what do you _think_ kept me stupid." Phe spat, catching on to Liara's little game immediately. She ducked, dodging the end of a soldier's gun, she punched him right in the groin, chuckling as he toppled over in agony.  

"But we called you both on the  _Com's_ ya know." Liara groaned out, jumping overhead of the five men aiming for her. She landed on her feet with ease, turning around and shooting each man as each one fell from her bullets. "I'm just saying that's kinda weird neither of you answered, hmmmm, what _were_ you two doing?" 

"Eat shit." Phe commented. 

"Not my type of meal." Liara rebutted, snapping the neck of another guard, then fixing her shirt. 

" _Now why would you say_ _that._ _"_ Alana asked in annoyance 

 _"_ _Because she annoys me._ _"_ She spoke plainly, coming up behind another soldier and grabbing hold of his arm, forcing him to shoot his own men.  

Liara chuckled at Phe's telepathic comment, slipping behind a pillar to reloading her bullets. "I annoy you? God that really hurts me deep." Phe looked to Liara, clearly unamused. The wolf snickered. "No, really, I mean how will I ever move on?"  

"Hopefully you die from grief." Phe grunted, waving to her hand to her right, forcing a load of metal crates to fall on top of some guards. She stood up, grabbing a random gun resting at her feet and firing it. Phe eyes gravitated over to see Steve taking on a group of men on his own, his shield proving quite useful. She quickly took notice to the man coming up quickly behind him, and aimed directly for the soldier's hand. She fired the last bullet, dropping the gun to the ground as she watched the bullet sink in the mans' hand, forcing him to drop the gun. This gave Steve the opportunity to hit him with his shield, the force sending him backwards.  He looked over in her direction and nodded, making his way to the next set of men in his path. 

 _"Where is the white bird?_ " Tony asked from his suit, firing arc reactor blasts across the room.  

"Her body is in Alana's head." Scott explained, causing Phe to Groan loudly.  

 _"She's what?"_ Tony asked, looking down to Scott in confusion. _"I'm sorry did I hear you right?"_  

"You head him right, but he is so explaining it wrong." Phe yelled out to him.  

"Hey I'm just saying what you said Phe." Scott spoke, running to hide behind.  

"That's not Phe, that's Alana." Natasha spoke refueling her bullets from her own cover.  

"No see, That's Alana's body, but Phe is in it." Clint explained, firing an exploding arrow.  

"That explains the lower voice " Tony clicked. 

"SEE! Tony gets it." Phe exclaimed. 

"The first part of this conversation was fun, now I'm disinterested." Liara spoke. 

"Can you do me a favor and like...get shot?" Phe called in the wolfs direction. 

"I got my vaccines last month. Don't need anymore, when I go back I'll let you know."  

 _"Hey wait a second."_ Alana interjected. _"Where the heck is Thor and_ _Vision?_ _and what about-_ _"_  

As if on cue, the ceiling just ahead of them collapsed, an enraged green beast dropped from the ceiling. He toward the armed men at full speed, knocking men left and right as bullets bounced off his body. Thor, and Vision opened the door the team were fighting to get to, watching as Hulk decimated whatever men were left. Phe walked over to her last place of cover making sure to grab the weapon she wanted examined before she walked to join the rest of the team. 

"The garage is secure and we loaded in some of the cargo during the battle but we must hurry." Thor explained. "We heard the men call for back up and more are on their way."  

"Alright." Steve called out catching his breath as the group huddled together, each carrying their own unique battle scars. "Let's move out."  

Steve held the door for each team member to exit. The sound of feet colliding with stairs echoing throughout the stairwell. 

Bucky was the last to exit, walking down the final set of steps of the ground floor before entering the dimly lit garage. His eyes focused on the back of Alana's head once again, his thoughts raging with unanswered questions. While his feet carried him forward toward the truck, he failed to notice Steve come up quickly next to him, a look of relief written on his face. "Are you alright Buck? We called you both and got nothing, we thought something had happened to you."  

Bucky looked to his friend, his gun finally lowered beside him. "Something did happen." He admitted, his eyes going back to the woman now stepping to enter the almost full vehicle.  

Steve followed Bucky's eyes to look at Phe, who looked toward them both before she quickly looked away, disappearing inside the mode of transportation. "What happened? What did she do? Did she hurt you?"  

"What? No. No not at all." He dismissed with a shake of his head. Honestly Steve, I have no idea what happened. My mind is confused." Bucky answered, his voice calm and steady. The image of the Alana's glowing body flashed in his mind again, causing his gut to tighten.  Steve pulled Bucky's arm back slightly, turning his friend to face him. He looked to Bucky confused, his eyes pleading for him to give more of an explanation.  

Bucky paused, carefully trying to think of his next words. "All I know is, Phe and Alana in their own way..... saved my life....I guess." He finished, finally looking to his friend, a simple shrug accompanying his statement. He looked down from Steve's gaze, pushing his body forward, entering the truck without another word.  

 


	14. It's messy in there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phe organizes her thoughts, shortly after, the Avengers set up a plan to get information from the apprehended Hydra General.

The ride back to base was silent, the only noises heard were the occasional small pebbles hitting the tinted windows of the vehicle. They all were in their own thoughts, the adrenalin rush from their previous battle now long gone. They knew a long debrief was in their future, along with their interrogation of their newly acquired guest Achim fisher. That was the last thing on any their minds however, they wanted to enjoy the silence, to take the time to accept even the smallest victory before their next task awaited them. This was the life of heroes, this was the life of the Avengers. 

 Phe found a seat closest to the wall that separated her from the front of the car.  She made it so her back was perfectly straight, refusing to rest her back against the wall behind her. Any form of relaxation was a forbidden pleasure, one she felt she had not earned just yet. Her head was lowered slightly, her eyes glued to the ground below her. She granted her eyes permission to only watch as little dried up pieces of mud vibrated against the metal floor. The sight of vibrational waves providing little to no amusement with her current state of mind, but that was not her main focus anyway. She squeezed her right hand tighter, the feeling of the handle in her hand the only way she could confirm the gun was still physically in her hand. 

 She took a breath, the sound of the tires rolling against the rocky road an added privilege she allowed herself to have. Alana was in her own mind, much like the others, probably trying to compose themselves. Even Phe could admit she needed a little time to organize her thoughts, an excess amount of ideas and conclusions spiraling in her mind at unfathomable speeds.  

The impending briefing back at the Avengers base was a lingering pest in the back of her mind. Now that it was known among the team that she could merge with Alana, they were sure to ask more invading questions, or flat out accuse them of not being honest, which she would of course refute immediately. Phe felt bothered knowing she had to have an explanation for anything she did or chose to do, because for so long her happiness stemmed from the fact she lived by her own rules. She belonged to no one, so she never saw any logical reason why she had to offer any clarity on her life or of the decisions she chose to make. When it came to her life, everyone else's opinion simply did not matter. However, since being sent to earth with Alana, and allying herself with 'heroes', she realized the longer she stayed here, the more she saw herself slowly conforming to the ideals of the race she once found the most inferior. Now, instead of dreading the thought of having to explain herself, she dreads the consequences she should she provide too much of the truth.  

She Kept her face blank, her cognitive mind forcing her eyes to remain focused on the metal beneath her feet while she mentally judged herself hard at her sudden epiphany. She realized that she is finding it increasingly difficult to accept the idea of this impending briefing because of the ramifications her previous actions may or may not cause. _Well shit_ _._ She thought to herself.  She never thought the day would come again where she had to admit to herself that she was felling nervous. She. Felt. _Nervous._ A feeling completely influenced by prolonged human interaction. _And it sucked._ That ultimately meant that by definition, her growing feelings of anxiousness could be strictly chemical right? There was _no way_ she was bothered because of someone else's view point. Who cared what other people thought? Surely she didn't. No, this had to be Alana's influence, her own feeling of nervousness must have pushed to the surface due to Phe's slight slip of focus. That, or it's something in the water that she drank. 

Alana was the one who was always sensitive and insecure. Since her birth Phe observed how Alana was always completely dependent on the opinions of those around her, once you mixed that with her foolish do right attitude, you ended up with a big heaping pile of emotional messes Phe ultimately had to clean up. Somehow, Phe always ended up cleaning messes she never made, a few centuries ago she did not mind, but currently? It's dull, and _simply_ infuriating.  Now that she was with Alana her job got even more difficult, because now she was directly responsible for anything she did, along with anything Alana did.  

 To Phe, Alana would always be a child. In the thousands of years she has been by her side, there was never anything that could ever properly explain what it was about the vast amounts of peoples spread across the universe that brought her to act on emotions so much. Eventually, Phe just equated Alana's constant need for reassurance and kid like behavior on the fact that she was highly spoiled by her parents, more specifically by Alana's mother, who in her opinion was the reason Alana was so overly broken in the first place.  

At the time, Phe believed that if anyone could show Alana how to toughen up and learn control it was Odin. The old man was the definition of cold and mean, even _before_ he had kids. When Phe heard he banished his own son to earth, that was proof enough to her that he could get Alana the wall she needed. Yet her she sat, still cleaning up messes she did not make, added with whatever baggage Alana was carrying that she refused to share. It was a never-ending cycle she was doomed to repeat for eternity.  

Whatever Alana was hiding had to do with that very nicely toned yet ugly assassin that Alana conveniently got rid of, that much was clear.  That burn mark on his face was extremely precise, and unless there is some other fire mutant they did not know about, she was almost certain Alana was the cause of his unfortunate ugliness. Phe held no memory of the man at all, and she never forgot a face, so there was no way they met when they were still together. It _had_ to have been when they were separated, after Alana left to Asgard. Which lead Phe to believe that that's why Thor is so overly protective of Alana, because he is aware and possibly apart of whatever she was intentionally hiding. She had previously assumed the secret Thor threated to tell had to do with both Alana and herself, now she was not so sure. There were still pieces left that needed to be dug up to complete her holy secret puzzle, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she got what she needed. She had to discipline herself enough to keep searching, or a mess may be created that Phe may never be able to clean. 

Her thoughts were brought to a halt as the truck began to slow, the bright white lights of the tower flashing through the window in front of her, illuminating the floor she finally allowed herself to look up from. Her own self-punishment finally over. She glanced out the window, noting how the darkness of the night sky made the lights that much brighter. She silently wished to herself she had a mirror, feelings of slight narcissism flooding her mind as she knew the bright lights would make her red eyes absorbed the rays instantly, making them shine as bright as a freshly shined ruby.  

The truck finally came to a complete stop, their final destination resting just beyond the closed truck doors. She could hear the groups of men and woman marching and walking to specific positions just outside the doors to her left, the clanking of medical supplies rustling in plastic cases also filling her ears. Phe looked down to the gun in her hand, it's visual and sensual presence confirming it was still in her grasp. She heard Alana in her head, asking if she was alright, to which she answered in usual sarcastic manner. The time for silent thinking was over, the time to collect thoughts long past. Their new task was awaiting and they _all_ were forced to be ready. 

 

XX

"Excuse me?" Fury asked the two now fully separated aliens, looking between them both.   

"Merrrrgee." Phe dragged out for about the ninth time. "We can merrrrrrge black cyclops, pay attention for god sake, I've said it like thirty-seven times...should I get it tattooed on my head?."  

"We can combine as one being, making our powers not only more effective but lots more powerful." Alana explained.  

"I know what merge is, I'm just trying to figure out why I am just finding out about this." Fury called out from the front of the table.  

"Um, I think it's because they did not tell you Nicholas." Liara smirked looking up toward the man standing next to her.  

"Thank you Liara." He said sarcastically.  

"You're welcome." She nodded, her tone mocking his.  

"When we do merge, we can choose which one we want as the physical body, the rest is completely mental. Phe or myself can be the host, the other will be materialized into out brain, where we communicate via Telepathy." Alana explained.  

"Can both of you host at the same time?" Wanda asked, also looking between the females.  

"It is possible, yes." Alana confirmed. "But we try not to do that."  

"They _try_ , key word."  Liara nodded

"Is it dangerous if you do that I take it?" Steve questioned.  

"It can be, for our target." Phe noted. "Our powers are stronger simply by the merge itself, by both of us hosting we are basically pushing out extra raw power. It's controlled however, though it has been known to can have minor after shock if your not careful." 

"What kind of aftershock?" Fury inquired.  

"Eh." Phe shrugged. "Access flames, some high frequency waves, nothing huge."  

"I have a question if I may." Bruce spoke, his hand holding up a Pen.  

"Sure, yeah go ahead but this is the last one." Phe informed. "As much as I love talking about me this has gotten super boring."  

"Before you guys...ya know, merged." He began gesturing his pen to point at each woman. "There was a shadow cast over you guys, what was that?"  

"That is my aura." Alana answered, shifting in her seat. "Everyone with special abilities that are born on my plant have one."  

"But Phe had one too and she is not from your planet." Sam noted, to which Alana nodded.  

"True, but because we are creating one being my Aura transfers onto her. So even if we merge, and Phe is chosen to be the body host, my aura would still show up on her since we are one."  

"You guys, are _seriously_ so complicated." Scott announced while shaking his head 

"Tell me about it." Phe and Liara called out in unison.  

Fury pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Okay, is there anything else I need to know about that can cause another potential headache?"   

Alana looked forward to Phe, who's eyes and attention slowly made their way to focus on Bucky. His elbows were resting on the table, his metal hand intertwined with his flesh one, the air being their only support. Alana observed him glance over in Phe's direction, their eyes seemingly trying to tell each other something. The contact lingered long enough to go unnoticed by Steve, who sat in-between them.  

"Alright." Fury nodded. "What about data?"  

"We have Agent hill sorting and compiling all the data we each collected on the USB drives, as for the cargo, it's being examined at as we speak." Natasha reported, with a nod.  

"Yeah quick question, who is going to interrogate out new house guest?" Tony asked, his back resting on the seat as he spun side to side. "I call not it."  

"Eh, I'm too used to being on the other side of the table." Scott conversed. "I would end up being the one to confess...not that I did anything I was just saying...like as an example."   

"I could do it." Liara volunteered with a smirk. "However, I cannot promise he will go untouched. I am quite handsy when I require information."  

"That....won't be necessary Liara." Fury spoke rejecting her offer quickly.  

"Pft, lame." She whispered to herself. Her back meeting the chair. "You only want me touching you, how selfish." 

"He is not exactly high in the looks department Liara." Tony commented.  

"And? _Dick is dick_ , if it works I'm game." She shrugged.  

"Yeah can this stop!" Alana called out in disgust.  

'Hey, just cuz you scared of the meat don't mean I am." Liara retorted.  

"As much as this pain's me to say, she has point there Alana." Phe agreed.  

"I'm _sorry_ did you just agree with her?" Alana asked in disbelief.  

"Wow." Liara spoke in shock. "There _is_ a God." 

"Anyway." Phe dragged out, causing the two women to quiet down. "The chances of him talking to any of the avengers are slim to none, he'll probably just cuss you out in German. I volunteer Bucket and I to do it...Even though he counts as an avenger " 

"Excuse me?" Alana blinked.  

"Oh see, I will pay _actua_ l money to see this happen, I am so for real. Like top dollar" Liara interjected, leaning forward to look at Phe.  

"What makes you think you can get through to him?" Steve asked turning to look at her.  

"And why me?" Bucky asked, his brows clenching.  

"Well I would have said Alana, but she's the one who technically nabbed him. He knows her face now. I am pretty sure he was too busy pissing his pants to memorize my voice. As far as he is concerned I'm a stranger." Phe began, pressing her palms face down into the table. "Bucket here is one of hydra's most popular assassin dudes, with him in there it is sure to cause some anger since ya know, he like betrayed them and got free of their control. I can totally manipulate fishies emotions and get at least something out the guy."  

"You know, that is actually not a bad idea." Steve nodded.  

"I have an inquiry." Vision called out. "As you said you are a stranger to him, does that not lower the chances of him interacting with you?" 

"Not necessarily, recent studies show a vast majority of people reveal information faster to unfamiliar faces." Bruce informed.  

"And even then, this is not your typical interrogation Barney. I'm playing strictly off his body movement and emotional responses to get him emotionally compromised enough to spill the beans. What better way to get information then to make em angry." She spoke with a smile. Vision nodded to her in understanding.  

"Okay whoa, hold up, how do you know you can even get him angry enough to get what we need?" Alana asked her, her fingers rising slightly off the table surface.  

Phe eyed Alana, tilting her head slightly to the left, her freshly made ponytail following suit as she answered. "Because I have done this many times before, did you _forget_ who I was?"  

"If anyone can piss people off and get intel it's Bitch bird." Liara nodded.  

"Are you _seriously_ _,_ coming to her defense right now?" Alana asked the she wolf, a deep confused glare fixated at her.  

Liara laughed. "Hmm? Oh no honey not at all. I'm just enjoying the storm that's starting to roll in." She explained, her right hand making lazy air circles.  

Alana huffed, taking a quick moment to fix her posture she looked over to the director she spoke. "This is your call Fury, if you think she can do it I say go for it." She nodded.  

Fury nodded in Alana's direction, accepting that as her blessing for the plan to go forth. "He can remain in the holding cells for now, let's starve him a bit, get the dice rolling. Tomorrow we can have him escorted whenever you're ready."  

Phe nodded in agreement, giving fury the signal to end their mission debrief. The members stood up, each person slowly taking their leave to go about their own personal business. Alana lingered in her unofficial assigned seat, trying to evaluate the uncomfortable churning sensation she felt growing in her body. 

Alana look across from her to watch Phe get up from her seat and stretch. Her clearly too short shirt lifting slightly to reveal her perfect smooth skin, the light bouncing off of her just right. Phe then smiled, her arm lightly touching the newly arisen Steve. She mumbled something clearly sarcastic to him, causing him to lightly chuckle and nod in agreement to whatever she said to him. She watched silently as Phe's eyes then awkwardly shifted to Bucky, who had just pushing in his chair. Phe clapped her hands together awkwardly as she approached him. She began to mumble to him, the louder conversations around her drowning out any hope of her hearing anything she said. She observed the singular nod Bucky gave Phe, his face unreadable. Phe simply nodded back, carrying her feet backwards from his position. 

Alana's breath hitched in her throat, the twinging pain in her chest subsiding momentarily as Bucky's eyes met hers. She hoped he did not catch that she was watching them, suddenly feeling guilty for even looking in their direction. A small smile grew on the corner of his lips as he nodded to her. She swallowed hard, smiling back with a small nod to him in return. She watched him walk away from his chair her eyes not able to stay on him for long as Phe began to speak. 

"Well I'm out." Phe spoke while pulling down her pink shirt to rest over her jeans. "I'm meeting Tony and Bruce early tomorrow, they are going to let me break open the gun I gave them. I never turn down the opportunity to destroy something."  

"Why does Bucky need to be there when you interrogate him?"

"I already explained that, not my fault you never pay attention." Phe answered. pushing her seat into the table/

"The _real_ reason Phe." Alana pushed.

 Phe paused mid step. She turned, now facing the right side of her seat as her eyes bored into Alana's "Are you implying that I'm _lying_ Alana? Need i remind you I am not the one who tells stories."

"You're still pissed at me?" Alana asked.  

"You still denying knowing that dude who shot me.. _.twice_?" She glared, a venomous tone wrapping around the number. She was not letting that one go anytime soon. 

"Yes." Alana spoke plainly. "Because I did _not_ know him."  

"Then yes, I'm still pissed." Phe shrugged. "Because you're lying."  

"No I'm not." Alana shook her head.   

"So you're telling me some random muscular dude who is _in_ _hydra_ just played a random game of guess the red head and got it right?"  Phe asked, her eyes opening wide. Alana opted to stay quiet, knowing if she spoke Phe would only interrupt to call her a liar.  

"Whatever." Phe waved, annoyed by her silence. "I'm leaving, I have one more thing to do before bed, if you need me.... please don't call." With that she stormed off, shoving her right shoulder into Alana's as she passed by.  

Alana turned her head, her chin just out of her left shoulders reach. She remained silent, allowing Phe the satisfaction of leaving with the last word. 

 

 


	15. Nightly Portait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky receives a surprise visit to his quarters.

Bucky stood out on his room balcony, his arms crossed against each other and resting on his chest as he stared forward blankly. The night time was simply captivating to him. He did not hate the day time, but there was something about it that was just a bit too bright for him, to _busy_.  The night time was calm, it gave him a chance to enjoy the feeling of isolation from the many outside distractions he was forced to interact with on a daily basis.  

The gentle wind that occasionally hit his skin gave him a sense of calm. It gently blew away any feelings of insecurity he had acquired during his day. The night sky gave him a sense of peace. He would gaze up at the stars, the millions of twinkling lights proving that there was an entire universe out there, it was a kind reminder that no matter how troubled he may become, he was only a small piece of a much bigger picture. In some ways, the night time showed him the pieces of his humanity he felt he lost long ago. The night time to Bucky was a canvas, a painting he created by associating the parts he admired to parts of his humanity. Parts he wanted to hold onto as tight as he could. So, every once in a while, he would find himself coming out onto his balcony and staring out into the night, grateful that life had blessed him with such an opportunity.  

The unexpected knock that echoed through his room brought his mind back to reality. Steve never knocked that soft when he visited, well, not unless he was harboring some sympathetic speech he gave every few weeks in an attempt to ensure Bucky was not still feeling out of place among his teammates. Bucky never complained about it, he knew Steve was doing his best to make him feel comfortable, to make him feel included and cared for.  

He uncrossed his arms, turning his body away from his peace to carry his feet slowly over to his closed door. He pressed the button just above his table, illuminating his room only slightly before continuing on his path. His slow pace gave him enough time to slowly close away his thoughts, making his mind ready to give his full attention to his longtime friend. He pressed the button allowing the door to slide open and reveal the presence that caused his to open his mouth in slight surprise.  

"Hi." She spoke breathlessly

"Alana...Hi." He responded. His eyes looking over her person. He could see she knew he was taken aback by her presence, her eyes darted to the floor, giving him the impression that she was slightly embarrassed.  

"I'm sorry." She began, her finger twiddling at her sides. "I know it's a bit late, I did not wake you, did I?" Her eyes looked up to him, her embarrassment still apparent in her shy closed off behavior. Her voice hinted at her guilt, thinking that she had awoken him from his slumber. He quickly shook his head, trying his best to ease her discomfort.  

"No, I wasn't sleep." He answered. His right-hand lifted to hold the side of his door. He made his voice as soft as he could muster. He understood feeling uneasy and awkward, he had felt that way during his time he spent adjusting to working with the very people he had to fight against not long ago. "I was just standing outside enjoying the breeze actually." A mental slap hit his brain, she really did not need the access information but he felt the need to give her anything that would at least cause her shoulders to relax.  

"Oh." She spoke, nodding her head. Her breathing was still slightly off, but he could see she was at least satisfied with the fact he was not sleeping when she arrived. "Um, I came here because I wanted to speak to you about something, if that was alright?"  

"Sure, of course." He nodded to her. He removed his hand from the edge of the door, stepping aside and extending his metallic hand into his room. "Come on in."  

She took a breath, a small smile appeared on her lips as she nodded and looked down. He watched her watch her feet carry themselves into his room, as if she had to force herself to take the necessary steps forward to accept his invitation. He turned away from her momentarily, standing in front of the door to press the button once more, allowing the sliding doors to meet, enclosing the two in his personal space.  

He turned to face her, but instead of seeing her face he saw the back of her head. The long fire colored locks neatly resting along her backside. She was staring out to his balcony, her body still and unmoving. From his position she looked hypnotized, as if any movement would take away from whatever her eyes had locked onto.  

"We can sit outside if you want, It's not to chilly." He offered, causing her to turn her face to him.  

"No, No it's okay." She declined, turning her body over to him. Her arms were crossed, her hands gripping the opposite arm. "I am not going to stay long, I know you need rest. You have a lot to do tomorrow."  

"Alright." He nodded simply. Though he surprised himself at how much disappointment wrapped around his simple response. He had hoped she did not catch it, immediately trying to cover his slip with a new thought. "What did you want to talk about?"  

She fidgeted. Her hands rubbed up against her arms as she looked to different spots on the floor. He told himself to think nothing of it, the only time he saw her display anything other than nervousness since he met her was when she was focused on her work, or when she was explaining something vital and wanted to make sure everyone knew what she was trying to explain.  

"Well, It's a couple things actually." She began, trying to find her words. "The first was about this interrogation with fisher Phe volunteered you for. I'm sorry about that by the way. She is bold and likes to be in charge." She noted, her eyes finally meeting his.  

"I can see that." He nodded with a smile. "It's fine though I'm not worried about it, she may be brash in some ways but, I see what she is trying to do. Besides, if I can contribute in this mission in any way I'm all for it."        

She gave another small smile, one he could see showed he was gradually getting her to become more comfortable when speaking to him. She gripped her arms again, the floor once again receiving her attention as she spoke. "I just want to make sure you know that if she says anything about you in a negative light, which I'm sure she will, don't take it personally. She does what is necessary to get any information she needs. She is not known for holding anything back. I Just don't want you to hate her later."  

He could not help but smile in her direction, her protectiveness over her friend reminding him of how Steve was himself, and Vice versa. "Noted." He spoke with a nod "I figured it would be like that, I have known may people with her personality, I won't take it to heart."  

"Cool." She nodded through a quick breath. For a moment there was only silence, whatever else she had to say was dangling in her mind but she was struggling to speak. He did not want to push her, so he kindly waited, knowing she had to find her own comfort to speak. She looked up him, and he observed how her sliver eyes seemed to shine brightly, not only from the small light sitting in the corner of his room, but also by the bright moonlight that bounced of the cream-colored walls in his room.  

He knew a pretty face when he saw one, he would not lie to himself a deny the fact she held a unique beauty anyone would be foolish to not admire. Her counterpart was the same way. However, it was something in her eyes that captivated him. Something hidden to him. If he got to know her better he would one day understand and be able to read what it was, but for now he would just stare, pretending that he was not searching.  

"The other thing I wanted to ask...well, the other thing I wanted to say anyway, was thank you." She stated, this was the first time he could see she was completely calm in his presence, her thank you was confident, full of pride and meaning. Her voice was strong and her eyes had never once looked to the floor in nervousness. Whatever she was thanking him for, she meant it.  

His brows came together in confusion. "For what?" He asked her, curious on what she meant.  

"For not saying anything about.....what you saw...at the base." She explained. "I heard you talking to Steve when Phe and I were merged, and during the debrief, I know you could have said something and you didn't. I just wanted to say thank you.....But, I also wanted to ask why?"  

It was his turn to look at the floor. The memory of the past mission's events playing back in his mind. The winds, the fire like aura around Alana's body, the body of the Hydra soldier lifeless before his feet, his eyes burned out of skull. Even Phe's reaction and body language was a repeating memory in his mind. Why hadn't he said anything? Had anyone else saw what he did they would have reported it as soon as they were able. Anyone else would have been completely petrified as soon as they witnessed the black veins crawl to the surface of her clear caramel skin. He knew he should have told, but it was the pain he saw dripping from Phe's eyes after that seemed to make him so indecisive.  

The other reason he didn't say, the one reason he would keep to himself, was his curiosity. He did not forget the familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could have sworn he had seen it before. If he had told Steve what he saw, he knew he would inevitably tell Steve how he felt he knew what he was looking at. That would only bring Steve to ask questions, ones he knew he could not answer. He shook his head, looking back up to her to give the only answer he could.  

"Honestly, I don't know." He shrugged. Keeping eye contact with her. "I thought about it, but when everything calmed down, I just could not bring myself to do it. You saved my life, _and_ took down one tough soldier, for me it was enough." It was not like he as lying to her, what he said was the complete truth, but he did not want to make his mind feel any more confused than it was already.  

She nodded, an Ahh escaping her lips. Their eyes had never left each other, giving Bucky the reassurance that she was indeed listening, and receiving his every word. This left him to feel slightly awkward, yet surprisingly warm. The only other time he felt like this was with Steve, the one person in his life who always gave him a reason to feel like he was important enough to hear.  He never thought anyone else could ever give him that type of attention, and yet here she stood, a woman he had only spoken to once before, was making him feel like he was being paid attention to, like the words he spoke held some form of importance.  

 He noticed her breathing was now fully regulated, her arms had dropped from her chest as he had given his explanation to her question. Even after his answer, she kept the smile that had grown on her face. Her shoulders were relaxed, and her body was still and straight. The feelings of her awkward state of existence, her feelings of nervousness, slight anxiety, and self-reproach that he had read off of her when she first arrived at his door, had completely vanished. Now she stood before him showing self-assertion, contentment, tranquility, and something he could only describe as a type of fondness. Most likely attained from his self-willingness to help and protect not only her, but the person she knew and trusted for most of her life.  

"Ya know." She began with a slight chuckle, making a smile grow on his face by instinct. "I was extremely scared to come down here. I paced in my room for about fifteen minutes contemplating whether or not I would actually do it."  

"Why?" He asked, his curiosity echoing though his words.  

"I thought you would be upset with me or something....for what I did. Between the merge and what happened, I was convinced you would not trust me and harbor some animosity for me and Phe not saying anything."  

He was slightly taken aback. Her voice she used as she spoke her words repeating in his mind like a song on repeat. They barely knew each other. And yet, she trusted him enough to confess that the reason she was so nervous and concerned with coming to him, was because she was worried about what he thought about her, and her own life choices.  

He took a breath and chuckled, making her look up at him with a smile, her pearly white teeth in his view. "Of course not." He replied simply. "We all have things hidden we are afraid to share, I of all people should know about that." The words rolled off of his tongue so easily, and he found himself stepping forward in her direction, as if his movements were out of his control. "We all also have or reasonings for doing things, I knew straight away you had no ill intent, I'm just glad you decided to come to me to talk about it."  

He was now not far from her form. Not to close, that could cause tension he did not want to convey. No, this was a closeness that gave both him and the woman before him a sense of trust, a sense of respect and friendship that he hoped she would accept without feeling obligated to. Their eyes still never left each other, but though his peripherals he saw her swallow hard. She licked her lips, creating a slight wetness to give her mouth enough slick to say whatever she was going to say next without slipping.  

"I am too." She stated in a whisper, a very small but noticeable nod accompanying her words. She cleared her throat, picking up her tone as she continued. "I have to give credit where it is due though, Liara came in my quarters ten minutes into my pacing and forced me to tell her why I was burning lines in my carpet. Then Phe came in not long after her and said If I did not come in here she was going to rip my feet off and feed them to Liara." She shook her head and rolled her eyes, clearly recalling the memory. "Liara did not take to kind to that by the way, she mumbled some explicit words before reassuring me I was overthinking."  

"Do you feel better now?" He asked her, to which she gave a happy yes, her head tilting to the side.   

Her eyes were full of unsaid thoughts. He watched as she looked behind her, her eyes looking out to the view just behind her before turning back to look at him. "Well it is getting pretty late, I better let you get some sleep before Phe blames me for you not getting any rest."  

"Eh." He shrugged to her. "As if I ever sleep."  

She scoffed playfully. " _Ha_ , I know the feeling. The saying I'll sleep when I'm dead is honestly apart of my everyday vernacular. I mean, I don't need it, but it does give my mind a temporary state of relaxation. I guess you could say I sleep for fun. "  

"Well that's lucky." He spoke with a smirk.  

"I guess." She spoke. "I always make sure to wake up extremely early though, apparently morning time is the best time to get that one drink that is extremely hot, ya know the one thing made from the coco beans?" She described.  

"Coffee?" He asked and she nodded, snapping her fingers.  

"Yeah! That's the one." She confirmed. " I don't like it plain though, I always add like four packets of sugar and some of that Vanilla cream stuff. I blame Wanda, she is the one that got me addicted to it."  

"I see, I mean plain Vanilla is good and all, but _nothing_ beats a fresh French Vanilla coffee." He explained, one finger pointing toward her.  

"There is a difference?" She asked confused.  

"Oh _yes_." He confirmed with a nod. "It's sweeter, and so much richer because of the egg custard base."  

"I am so going to have to try it." She exclaimed, a smile he had seen many times now coming to her face. She sighed, taking the time to look him over before she spoke again with a slight nervous chuckle. "I really should go." To him she sounded almost reluctant, and looked slightly disappointed that she had to leave. But she pressed forward regardless, He watched her make way to the door and press the button to open the sliding doors.  

"Alana.." He called out to her, causing her to quickly turn around. Her hair slightly bounced behind her, it followed her movements and fell over her shoulder. He could not help but see how it complimented those silver eyes that still managed to shine against the light radiating around the room.  

"Yes?" She asked softly, her face displaying innocence and purity.  

He took a breath, he did not understand what made him feel like if he spoke he would stumble in his words. However, he could not stay silent, he had called her name. What did he want again? The thought escaped his mind the moment she turned around to face him. "Um..." He began, giving him seconds to rack his brain to figure out what he originally wanted. Nothing came to fruition, so he shook his head and gave a smile thinking of something else to say. "Nothing just...Goodnight, Ms. Deltora, sleep well, for _fun_ of course."   

She chuckled, giving one small smile at his polite, playful comment. "Goodnight, _Mr. Barnes_." She turned from him, carrying her body out of his quarters to find her own. The doors slid closed, leaving Bucky alone in his personal space once again.  

Bucky quickly let go of the breath he was not aware that he had been holding. His gaze remained on the door in front of him momentarily, before he turned to look outside at the moon resting in the Sky just outside. He smiled, realizing that at some point he would have to thank Alana himself. For gazing at the moon gave him a sense of trust and friendship, something she had made possible, making his nightly portrait that much better.  


	16. Compartment Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony, Phe, and Bruce meet up in the lab to inspect the Gun Phe Acquired at the Hydra base

The sun had just started to rise when Phe made her way to the science lab to meet with Tony and Bruce. They agreed to let her be the one to take the heavy weapon apart, after she begged them and insisted she just _had_ to be a part of what she described as the scientific process. Tony seemed reluctant at first, stating it was kind of a science bros thing to analyze and take apart the technology, but eventually he cracked stating that maybe this one time would be acceptable. He explained that it gave Tony and Bruce the chance to show off how smart they actually were, to which Bruce just rolled his eyes, clearly not amused.                                                  

"I have met my fair share of people who love breaking things, but I have to say your devilish excitement is really creepy." Tony called looking to his right. The White-haired female tore her gaze from the gun, to smile at the bearded man.  

"If you know me, you know I cannot help but get off on the feeling of things coming undone in my hands." She explained with pride. "I am so _dominant_ in that way."  

He raised a brow, deciding to play along with her. "I'm dominant too, you should see the way I make my suits. It's all about the hands and brain working together."  

She nodded in agreement. "Oh totally. The best part is after you're done. Seeing how destroyed and powerless it is, like _wow_. Talk about feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment."  

"You speak like you do this often." He noted.  

"Oh, in fact I do." Phe's cocky smile grew as she spoke. "I have a good track record. My last pieces of destruction can be found not to far from here actually."  

"Oh really?" He asked in curiosity.  

"Yup." She said popping the P. "One is out traveling, the other is here New York I believe...well, that's the last place I saw it at least."  

"Mind sharing?" He asked, trying to see how much he could get away with.  

"Eh, I was sworn to secrecy on both." She spoke, slightly disappointed. "Though I can say I learned how much I loved abs with the first, and how to _really_ appreciate the beauty of hands with the second." She boasted, her velvet voice low and seductive. She sighed, seemingly reliving every secret detail in her mind.  

"Dear lord." Tony called out quietly, lifting his right hand to adjust the black tie around his neck.  

"Um, I hate to interrupt.... whatever this is that’s going on, but I am still here you know." Bruce spoke, gaining the attention of both Phe and Tony. They turned around to look at the scientist, observing him sitting in his black stool, his feet resting on top the round silver piece that circled the bottom of the seat. He was not looking up to them, instead his focus was on the computer that sat on the long island to the side of him. His glasses were resting on the bridge of his nose, his eyes slightly visible just above the square glass. In their direct vision, they saw his left hand held a blue pen up his lips, while his right hand remained hidden behind his built form, only showing if he reached up to his laptop to scroll up and down whatever he was reading.  

"I mean, you can _join_ us if you want, isn't the saying strength in numbers?" She suggested, turning herself to face him fully.  

"Okay no." Tony disagreed. "I am needy, I require all attention, it must not be taken away from me for even a second. Besides, he can't join even if he _wanted_ to." 

"Why not?" She asked him. Looking to Tony for an answer.  

"My.... _condition_ makes activities like that impossible." He answered in a matter of fact tone. She looked to him, her brows together. It was as if he has explained this to people many times before. "Even if I could, I would decline any type of activity in that fashion regardless, especially with _Tony_ involved. 

"Well what if he was _not_ involved?" She spoke suggestively. "What about then?"  

"I'm starting to feel offended." Tony pointed out.  

"Ohhh." Phe turned to him, bringing up her right hand to grab his chin. Her tone soft and comforting like she was talking to a spoiled child. "Don't worry darlin, I have a _special_ time planed just for you. You can have all my attention." She dropped her hand and turned to nod toward Bruce. "I just don't want Brucey here to feel left out, I am caring like that."  

"I disagree, you are just slutty like that." A voice called from behind them. The duo turned around to eye the door, while Bruce himself looked up to see who had spoken.  

Liara stood just outside the lab, leaning against the frame of the door with her arms crossed. She smirked at the trio, taking slight satisfaction at the fact Phe was eyeing her with nothing but disdain and growing irritation. "I'd be careful Tin man, you know what they say about the endless hallway. You never know what it holds there till you wake up the next morning, sporting a permanent itch and a busted ego."  

"That's _true_." Phe agreed with a smile. "Now if he ever talks to you he knows not to take such a disgusting flea ridden path."  

"Oh _my_ hallway is clean thank you." Liara retorted, pushing off the frame and walking inside to stand on the other side of the table that separated her from the others. "I only let the _special_ ones enter my room, you like anything with a mouth and clean shoes."  

"Not true." Phe denied immediately. "They also need a nice face and great ass."  

"So anyone that looks like Steve right? Right. Cuz you are all up in his business and getting all wet when he looks at you."  

"I thought you offered your um... _ahem,_ hands on service, for lack of a better term, to our honored guest?" Tony asked her, his body turning to face the she wolf. "Weren't your exact words _'dick is dick'_?" 

"Ha!" She laughed a loud. Waving her hand in his direction. "It really is though." She snickered, letting her signature crooked smirk appear on her face. "I mean I could work it if I wanted, but he is a bit too...Hydra for me. He lost appeal for that one."  

"She means most people from Hydra smell as bad as she does and if she mixed it together it would cause an explosion of stank to consume the earth. She is doing us all a favor." Phe noted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.  

"It's not me who reeks of hot tar and unwashed ass." Liara shrugged. "You hold that award just. fine." 

"Is there a specific reason you are interrupting my bonding time?" Phe asked, ending their back and forth. "I know you have at least _one_ friend somewhere. As I recall she has red hair, a metallic eye color, and does not care for the fact your clothing choices are that of a homeless hobo."  

"A _comfortable_ , homeless hobo." Liara corrected.  "I like my parts to breathe, circulation is important to me."      

"Well I can respect the breath part but can you _at least_ do something about the hang?" Phe retorted, her right pointer finger's gesturing up and down the woman's form.  

The she wolf was clothed top to bottom in clothes she deemed acceptable. Her white shirt, which fit well enough to hug her curves comfortably, was accompanied by her usual purple zip up jacket, clearly made for the male gender. Her legs were covered by fitted grey sweat pants, the top bunched up at the top, the white strings built into them were easily accessible to her as they hung just above her crotch. Her sneakers looked freshly bought, the matching white and grey sneakers completing her outfit perfectly.  

"I always hang sweetheart." Liara smirked, clearly not bothered by Phe's jab. "That's why everyone wants a taste of the forbidden fruit."  

"Forbidden fruit? Isn't that a bible reference?" Phe asked looking over to Tony who nodded.  

"Yeah, it's a reference to the garden of Eden. The whole Adam and Eve story is all over the place."  

"Maybe _yours_ should be called the forbidden fruit then." Liara exclaimed with excitement. "It's ancient _and_ has a snake to go with it. Good fit don’t you think?"  

"Did you come in here to annoy the shit outta me?" Phe asked, growing more annoyed.  

"No, _that_ was a bonus." She smiled. Her eyes darted over to the scientist behind them. She lifted her hand, fixing the ear piece in her ear before sneaking her hands in her pocket, darting her form slightly forward to usher in his vicinity. "I came to talk to the secluded man in the corner. He looks lonely over there, and _clearly_ does not want to hear or entertain your disgusting attempts at flirting, so I'm sure he won't mind if I steal him from you and your side piece."  

"Side piece?" Tony asked, his voice raising in shock.  

"Side piece, Side man, backup plan, you can pick I just threw a name out there." She shrugged.  

Bruce turned his chair to now sit facing his comrades. He quietly removed his glasses, eyeing her in confusion. "You want to talk to me?" He asked. She gave him a singular nod, awaiting his next words. "What did you need?"  

"Well If I wanted to say it out loud I would have just walked over there." She spoke to him, making him looking over to the two people in front of him. "It's a _personal_ matter hot stuff." Her crooked smirk was back, her tone slightly suggestive but also highly sarcastic.  

"Well my breakfast Is sure to come back up now." Phe whispered, her face contorting in disgust.  

"Be sure to aim for the trash can, it is sure to ruin the mood if it lands on Tony's expensive suit." She called out, her gaze going to the alien for only a second. She wanted...no, _needed_ her to know she could hear her regardless of any whisper.  

"I'm supposed to be helping Tony and Phe with the weapons-" 

"Oh come now, it will only take a second." Liara insisted. "I promise I won't bite, well, only if you _want_ me to." She shrugged. 

Phe rolled her eyes, turning her back to Tony to gaze to her right at the seated man beside her. "Please Bruce, I'm _begging_ you here...and I don't do that often, let's be clear." She clarified. "Just see what she wants, the longer she stays in this room and talks, the lower my IQ and sense of happiness begins to disappear. Tony and I can handle this."  

Bruce eyed Phe, his expression showing he was put on the spot. He was clearly not one for feeling like the center of attention, or for feeling uncomfortable, and right now both seemed to have creeped up on him unexpectedly. He lightly sighed, dropping his glasses and dropping his pen in the crevice where the screen of the laptop meet the keyboard.  

He stood up, politely excusing himself from his previous company and walking over to stand beside the yellow eyed female. She turned to face him, taking her hand out of her right pocket and extending it toward the door, gesturing for him to exit first. He nodded, turning back to face the duo one more time before exiting the room, Liara close behind.  

"Thank you _God_ _._ " Phe praised with a sigh. "I could feel one of those human migraine thingies starting to form in my head."  

"You _really_ despise each other, don't you?" Tony asked, looking between her and the now vacant door.  

" _Yes_." She confirmed, her voice filled with venom. "Her very existence is a constant stake through my _very_ cold heart."   

"Have you considered couples therapy?" Tony asked. He walked away from her, grabbing one of the screens that rested upon a pole with wheels. He dragged the screen over to their location as he added to his question. "I know a guy, really good psychiatrist. Loves the angry ones that come in, y'all would be perfect." 

"Couples therapy?" She asked confused. "You do realize that is for _couples_ , right?"  

"Yeah." He answered simply, not seeing the issue. "Yall are basically a couple so I mean..." 

"Okay that's disgusting Tony." Phe stated in disgust, pretending to gag.  

"Okay, so you are clearly not a couple." He corrected, bringing the rolling stool Bruce previously sat in to their station. He pulled the lever under it, lifting his seat to make the chair high enough for him to sit down comfortably. "But you guys have some serious sexual tension between you both that could easily be delt with."  

Phe's mouth dropped open, her eyes squinted at him and she shook her head slightly, shaking at his words. This was the first time in many decades Phe could say had been speechless, and had to actually _think_ of what to say before she continued. "Okay first of all, I would rather have unprotected sex with a porcupine, while being sprayed by six skunks, on a _hot_ day, in the middle of the Saraha desert." She explained making Tony visibly flinch in agony. "Second, the day I ever harbor _any_ type of sexual feelings for that tick ridden sack of _dog shit_  is the day I finally die and accept my seat as the ruler of hell and it's many inhabitants."   

"Wow." He stated, blinking at her. "That was....quite extensive not gonna lie." he spoke quickly, looking down at the table for a moment. "But come on Phe _e_ _veryone_ knows the two that argue constantly and hate each other's presence, are the two that are totally digging on each other secretly. They crave the moment their souls can become one." He teased, his voice high and full of passion. "It's like that in like...all the movies."  

"Oh yeah?" She asked with a raised brow. "Isn't it also popular in your human flicks for the one sarcastic guy who is friends with one of the two lovers to go flying out the window, breaking almost every bone as he somehow flies through it continuously?"  

He looked up at her, confusion easily readable on his face. "Uhhhh, no. I don't have any movie in my memory that does it."    

"Oh you don’t know it?." She asked surprised. "It's a new flick, it's called, 'Tony stark if you say one more word, Phe is gonna really hurt you'. " She smirked, looking at the now wide-eyed man to her left. "Oh, it's sure to be a _classic_ someday. Oscar winning if you ask me, the script was homemade and everything."        

Tony took a breath, turning his body in the chair to face the table and picking up the screw driver in his right hand gesturing it over to her as their eyes met. "Point taken." He stated simply, now ready to change the subject. "Alright, we don't know what's in here just yet. I want to do a scan to make sure when we try to open it, nothing explodes or sprays out. Gotta protect lives and my bank account you know." He explained, earning a nod from Phe.  

He pulled the computer screen closer to his person, tapping it twice and activating various gridded images along it's screen. He called for F.R.I.D.A.Y. to initiate a complete physical scan of the weapon in front of him. She complied immediately, the inside contents that Phe could not see when she acquired it being presented in several parts on the screen.  

"This here." Tony pointed, a pen in his right-hand gesturing one of the unknown parts presented to them. "This is what we are trying to get to. They look like some specially made batteries, ones that can hold large amounts of whatever they stored inside." He turned back to the weapon, turning it over to it's other side, the barrel Phe had melted was now in front of her, while the end was pointing toward Tony. "We want to start by taking this top piece here, and from there we should be able to get inside no problem.  

She looked down to the weapon, holding the screwdriver up in the air with her right hand. She searched and searched, now feeling lightly confused as she turned to look at Tony. "Uh, where the hell am I supposed to stick this thing?" She asked.  "There are no screw holes, I can't stick things where this is no hole."  

"That means more than you think it does." Tony smirked at her. He pointed down to the space in front of her. "You use the end of the screwdriver to pry the door open." He explained. To which she opened her mouth slightly and nodded.  

"You should have said that, I don't need this little thingy." She spoke, dropping the tool on the table. Her hand rested on the piece she needed and she gripped tight. With one tug, she ripped the piece completely off the gun, sending little pieces out in every direction. "She threw the piece to the side, the clank echoing in the air as Tony looked at Phe in Awe."  

"That was reinforced Steel." He spoke, looking at the exposed gun.  

"That was like opening a plastic water bottle that was already open." She shrugged. "Now what's next?" 

"To your left, there should be a small red button, next to a small glowing blue light. Press that button, and the compartment we need should open."  

She nodded, sticking her skinny fingers into the exposed compartment to click the right button, causing a part of the gun to pop open at the end of the gun, a small bit of smoke flowing out of the now extended piece. Phe and Tony's head shifted to the end of the gun, they took a glance at each other before she removed her hand, fixing her posture, while Tony took his hand to lift the piece further up, exposing the very thing Tony pointed to on the screen just minutes ago.  

He pulled hard, trying to remove the piece from the part that connected the batteries to the gun. His eyes glanced over to Phe, who smirked in amusement as he attempted to yank once more, but once again was unable to remove it.  

He let go quickly and turned to her, his left elbow now resting on the table as he spoke. "Ya know, I was quite impressed by the way you basically ripped that reinforced steel from that weapon, you should totally do it again, just with this. I want to see if you're really that strong or if your pranking me." He spoke quickly, to which Phe smiled brightly and nodded, a chuckle escaping her lips as Tony slid back slightly in his stool while she took his place by the compartment.  

"Sure, sure. Has absolutely nothing to do with the act you bench press about what? 180?" She teased, her hand now on the clip.  

"180? That's all you're giving me? Wow I thought I meant something to you." He called from behind her.  

"You do Tin can." She confirmed with a low grunt, ripping the clip from the gun and placing it on the table in front of where he sat. "Which is why I gave you 180 and not anything lower."     

"Well thank you for such generosity on your part." He called out sarcastically, his head turned to her as he rolled back to his position.  

"You're welcome." She smiled, watching as he picked up the batters and examined them.  

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., you know what to do." He spoke, turning the six-pack cylinder shaped tubes around in his hands.  

 _"Yes Mr. Stark."_ The AI complied, switching the images on the screen from the weapon to the tubes they acquired.    

" _The cylinders are_ _filled with a mixed uranium composite, this is typically used as_ _fu_ _el_ _for_ _Nuclear_ _power plants, or to power highly fortified battleships and spacecrafts."_ The AI explained. The imagine took apart the pieces, giving a clear imagine of each piece that formed in and around the tubes, including the tubs themselves.  

"What kind of spacecrafts?" Phe asked, looking forward as she awaited its answer.  

" _The spacecrafts that use_ _these_ _type of uranium_ _batteries_ _are_ u _sually ships that are built specifically t_ _o go into_ _extremely_ _heated or_ _chemically_ _dangerous_ _territories_ _._ _Battle cruisers, and scavenger ships are the most popular."_ The computer answered.  

Phe's tongue pressed into her left cheek as she nodded, her body leaned forward slightly while her eyes focused on the batteries in front of her. "We need to know how Hydra got access to these type of batteries, they do not just come from nowhere." She spoke, to which Tony nodded.      

"I don't think there is anything even on this _planet_ that would give even have anything like this for them to just acquire and use." Tony explained observing the screen beside him.  

" _There isn't."_ Phe confirmed. "But, I have traveled a lot in my day, I know spots out at different special outposts that do sell them. In fact, I know a guy who could probably tell us how they got access to these." She sat up, quickly making her way from the table to the door.  

"Where are you going?!" Tony called out, causing her to pause and turn to face him.  

"I gotta make a quick phone call." She answered her hands griping the door frame.  

"To who?" He asked her.  

"Well, remember the two secrets I described to you earlier?"  

"The one with the abs and the good hands?" He asked, earning a nod. "Yeah, what about em?"  

"I'm calling the one with the Abs, he owes me like, I don't know eighty-seven favors collectively. I plan on cashing in on one of them today."  She smiled, biting her lip she raising her brows up and down before rushing out the room to make the call. 


	17. Interrogates, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phe formulates a very risky plan to get information out of the Hydra General Achim fisher.

Much of the day had passed before Phe gave Fury the okay to bring the Hydra General to the interrogation room. She kindly reminded the director that this man had to be used to sitting in secluded spaces and being rough housed like a common criminal, considering his current employment. She would get would she could but there was no guarantee that it would give them anything that would give them a direct tie in to the weapon they searched for. 

The plan she concocted was risky, and it was sure to take a lot out of her. Had they not been desperate for leads, Fury would have knocked her idea completely out the window just for it being completely against regulation. Steve was _highly_ resistant to her idea, saying there just had to be another option. Her safety, along with the safety of their _only_ lead was on the line for a plan that may or may not work. Phe explained to him that being pressed for time was the only reason she would have suggested it, and promised if it became too much, on her or on him, she would pull away. He very reluctantly agreed, but only if they had staff members at the ready for anything that could go wrong. 

Phe awaited behind the one-way mirror, staring silently at the man behind the glass. He looked tired, focused, and _very_ pissed off. The only light available was the hanging lamp that could hold only one light bulb, giving most of the room a very dark shadow, and illuminating only the table, along with any who sat under it.  

To Phe's right stood Alana, who insisted that she be present for Phe's big interview. To Phe's left stood Bucky, his focus also on the man in front of them. He focused on his movements, every flinching body part and shift in his seat giving him a perfect read on what the man was feeling.  

The door behind them creaked slowly open, all faces turned to watch as Steve and Fury entered the room. Steve walked over to the man sitting at the sound station, whispering something to him that made the unnamed man nod in either understanding or confirmation. Fury took his spot next to Alana, who muttered a quite hello before turning back to look through the glass. Steve took his spot next to Bucky, and they exchanged glances, nodding to each other and waiting for their next command.  

"Well he has sat there long enough I guess." Phe spoke, her eyes not leaving the glass. "Bucket and I can head in now if you're ready." She spoke, looking over to Fury.  

Alana rolled her eyes and took the opportunity to speak before fury could answer. "Dear god Phe when you get in there _please_ do not call him that." She pleaded. "You have to be serious."  

"I know what I am doing Alana, I do not need nor want your input." Phe spit in her direction. "It's like you constantly forget I survived without you for like...ever."  

"I have no idea how." She murmured to herself, making Phe scoff.  

"I would explain it to you, but it would take someone with at least _part_ of a working brain to understand. So I won't waste my time."  

"Let's focus Phe." Steve warned. "Are you sure you want to do this? We can get someone else, Like I said we-"  

"Nah, I'm good." She interrupted, clasping her hands behind her back. "This is weird when you think about it, not too long ago I was the one in chains being interrogated for information. Now look at me, interrogating the _big guy_...it's almost emotionally heart wrenching."   

"Let's just get this over with." Alana spoke, crossing her arms across her chest.  

"What? Is me being in the room with two men I can handle better than you making you uncomfortable?" Phe asked with a raised brow. 

Alana glared but did not comment, she simply focused her sights back on the glass in front of her. 

"My room had much better lights though, this room is seriously depressing......so glad I Phased into that other one." She remarked, earning a stare from the four who stood beside her. 

"Right. Let's do this." Phe smiled, turning away from the glass to make her way out the door, Bucky following not far behind.  

"Remember Phe." Steve called out to her. "The minute it gets to be too much for you-"  

"I know Steve." She insisted, looking back to him. "I got this, the most I'm leaving with is a migraine."  

As their room door shut, the opposite door opened. Phe entered first, walking her way to stand in front of the singular chair that was pushed in just across from the general, while Bucky made his way to stand in the very corner of the room, using the darkness as a type of shield.  

Phe remained on her feet, placing her hands on the neck of the silver chair. Her eyes looked over him entirely, and she knew by the way he looked at her with such blind hatred that he was in no way gong to open his mouth to speak first.  

"Achim Fisher right?" She asked him, getting no response. "I'm Phe, nice to meet you." He looked away from her, his eyes looking over to the corner that Bucky occupied.  

"I see you noticed my friend over there." She spoke, her left thumb gesturing behind her. "He is what we here call; a _security precaution_." Again, he said nothing, turning his eyes away from Bucky her looked to a random spot on the table, his face remaining angry and closed off. "You might know him, he used to work for you guys, _W_ _inter_ _Soldier_ ring any bells? 

He kept his eyes lowered to the table, but she observed the slight clench of his fist. He gave her the very reaction she was looking for. 

"Now." She called out, pulling her chair out and taking a seat. She scooted in, putting both hands on the table and intertwining them. "I know what you're thinking, you're chained up how could you be any threat to me right?" She tilted her head to her left, making it so she could see his lowered face. "Well, I just want to clarify that he is not here to protect me from you....he is here to protect you from _me_."  

Her words finally got his attention. He looked up to her, his eyes squinting in a deep hateful glare as she continued. "See, I made a deal with the boss man. I knew you were not going to talk, in fact, I predicted every glare you have given me for the past few minutes." She hopped in her seat becoming more comfortable as she leaned forward, their eyes still locked. "See I had a theory, Hydra is one of those organizations that adores making people feel intense pain right? Especially if they need information. I mean it's like a daytime hobby for you people."  

"So, why not do to you, what I am sure you have done to a wide range of other people." She smiled. She sat back in her seat, hands still intertwined on the table. "The deal was that as long as I had someone to watch me, and I had medical staff on hand, I could inflict as much pain on you as I wanted, until you give me what I need to know."  

The man kept his glare, seemingly not fazed by her threat. He scoffed, a smirk and light chuckle escaping his lips. He leaned forward, the chains around his arms rattling on the table. " _You will get nothing from me_."  His voice was thick, English was obviously not his first language but he knew enough to speak clear and precise words to the woman in front of him. 

She looked at him, a fake look of sympathy coming across her face. "You know, that is what so many others before you said to me, with that _exact_ glare too, I mean god it brings back so many happy memories....for me of course. They all either passed out from pain, or died from blood loss." She shrugged. "Look, just make this easy for me. I have had such a long day and would prefer not to waste any energy on a pathetic waste of time and space like you." Phe lifted her hand, motioning for Bucky to hand her the manila envelope that Steve had given him.  

She opened the envelope, spreading the pictures of the device on the table in front of him. She moved her right pointer finger over the first photo, making him focus on the blueprints of the drill. "Do you know what this is?" She asked, to which he remained silent. "This is a drill, a drill your people are apparently constructing. This right here, is the reason a lot of people, including many of your own are going to end up dying for."  

He looked into her eyes, his face uncaring and lifeless. " _Cut off one head, two more shall -"_  

"Take his place yeah, yeah I have heard your catchphrase already dozens of times, that does not answer my question." She interrupted. Though she did not show it, she mentally smirked to herself in slight victory. His response only confirmed that he did in fact know something about the machine. Now all she had to do was pry it out of him.  

" _You_ _fools_ _no nothing, and you shall get nothing. Hydra is always in control._ " He spoke, his accent wrapping around certain words.  

"I mean...if that was true we would not have gotten to you right?" She asked him. Making him glare at her once again. She focused in on his eyes, knowing her plan was ready to be carried out now that she had the confirmation she needed.  

 _"I am one of thousands of men."_ He stated to her, his voice deep and proud. _"I need not worry for my death will only secure my loyalty to Hydra."_  

"Sure." She nodded to him. "Hey, by the way, how's your wife...what's her name again...Deborah...Destiny......Debbie? Debbie! that’s the one!" She exclaimed. "How's Debbie?"   

The mans' eyes shot up to look to her in surprise, the first real reaction she got from him. She chuckled, gathering the pictures from the table and sticking them neatly back into the folder as she continued. "I know, I know, you tried really hard to keep her identity a secret...even had her files forged! Man, I gotta say you must really like her." Phe began, standing up from her seat, handing the file back to Bucky.  

"Question for you though, does she know about your current employment? I highly doubt it since you told her you work for some weird travel agency that sells insurance door to door." Phe continued making her way to stand behind him. "She is not going to be to pleased when she finds out you are a full-fledged _liar_. Poor innocent little Debbie, married a psychopath and did not even know it."  Her eye shot over to look at Bucky, her eyes curious. "Why does everyone have to lie? Whats so hard about telling the truth? I mean come on."

She was now standing behind him, but moved so she was standing to the left of him, creating enough space to lean forward and place her palms face down on the table and turn her head to look directly at him. _"How does_ _Phe_ _know_ _all this information I had destroyed in an 'accidental' fire almost thirty years ago?"_ She mocked, imitating a deep voice. " That's what you're thinking right? Well here is the thing, while you were glaring at me like I stole your last meal, I was wiggling my way into your very tiny brain and getting any of your personal information that I could reach." She explained, making him turn to her in slight panic, not understanding exactly what she meant.  

" _Well_ _Phe_ _, since you did that why don't you just get whatever_ _you're_ _looking for then?"_ She mocked again. Going back around to her side of table, she sat down. "Well I would, but I promised the boss to be _nice_ first. The extraction process is quite painful and he wants me to avoid turning you into a vegetable."  

The mans breathing began to quicken, and his hands began to slightly fidget. Bucky could see the generals fear begin to grow, the more Phe continued to speak.  

"Now, I'm going to ask _one more time_ , then nice Phe is going to have to take a short rest, while mean forceful Phe turns your brain into a gooey pile of soup. What do you know about the drill?"  

She could see he was intimidated, but as she predicted, his pride was high enough to try and call her on her bluff. She sighed in disappointment. "Nothing huh? Welp, okay then." She sat back in her chair, her eyes deeply focused on the man in front of her. He eyed her cautiously, waiting for any type of pain to overtake him.  

As the seconds rolled by he looked around the room, taking small glances over to Bucky when he could. He smirked in victory, sitting back in his seat as he eyed her with a devilish grin. _"Like I_ _said,_ _y_ _ou_ _will_ _do nothing."_  

She smiled, extending a nod toward his direction.  His smirked remained, until suddenly his brows came together, and a bloodcurdling scream erupted from his lips. He grabbed his head in agony, pushing his chair away and standing up, forcing his body against the wall behind him.  

Phe remained seated, overlooking the man as he fell to the floor, a thunderous sound erupting from his lungs once more. "Rule number one of torture my man, you never do it when they are expecting it." She yelled over his cries. She looked back to Bucky, who watched the man curl and twist against the cold floor, the chains hitting the tiles repeatedly.  

"This _all_ could have been avoided if you had answered my question, but you had to be cocky." She shook her head, peeking over the table to look at him. "Humans last about five minutes tops before their brain short circuits from the pain....or does it explode...Ha, I seem to have gotten my torture outcomes mixed up."  

The man continued to scream, his cries quickly becoming pleas for the pain to cease.  "You want me to stop? So soon?" She asked, her hands coming to massage her temples. "Really? You did not last long at all....Poor Debbie." 

 _"Please!"_ He shouted out to her, his hands holding his ears, then his head. She chuckled, seeing him not knowing what to hold to ease the searing pain he as enduring.  "What happened to the whole ' _You will get noting, hydra is in control, cut of one_ blah blah speech?"

Phe sat back in her chair, her hands putting slight pressure onto her temples as she spoke out to him. "You know what to do to get me to stop fish. Tell me what you know and it's all over."  

"I....I..." He stuttered.  

" I, I what? I need more than that, you have about 2 minutes left." She noted, feeling herself becoming slightly disoriented.  

" _The....They did not tell me_ _any_ _thing_ _!"_ He cried out. _"Only that_ _....they_ _were making something that would secure Hydras place around the globe!_ _"_  

"And?" She pushed. "What else?"  

" _And that we_ _would send and_ _receive_ _shipments_ _to_ _scattered_ _bases,_ _it_ _…...would either be_ _something_ _they needed_ _pertaining_ _to the device_ _......or our weapons......_ _that would be_ _disturbed_ _out to_ _our_ _soldiers_." He cried out again, turning so he was resting on his back. Blood began dripping from his nose, making Bucky walk over to stand behind Phe, his eyes not leaving the general.  

"Alright Phe I think he's had enough, I don't think either of you can take much more." He whispered. Resting his hand comfortingly on her let shoulder.     

" _Almost._ " She whispered to him shakily. "Who gave you this information?" She forced out.  

" _I._ _..don't_ _know. It is a masked recording sent to_ _us, that's all I_ _know I swear!"_ He whined out, small drops of his blood staining the floor.  

"Phe. Enough." Bucky demanded to her. His hand clenching down on her shoulder. She looked up at him and nodded. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, allowing relaxation to wash over her.  

Fishers cries quieted down, his body becoming limp on the floor. The door to the room opened, in rushed two medical personnel that checked over to fishers body, feeling his pulse and confirming he was still alive, just out cold from the pain.

"Ae you okay?" Bucky asked, kneeling down beside her.  

"Yeah, I'm fine." Phe nodded. "Always am." 

Steve walked into the room, stooping down in front of Phe, asking her endless health questions that she ignored, insisting that she was fine. Alana slowly made her way over, stopping just outside the door and crossing her arms as she observed Phe from afar.  

Phe's eyes looked to the door to meet Alana's, neither bothering to say a word telepathically. Phe looked away for a moment, but quickly looked back up to her and nodded, giving her counterpart the reassurance she needed to walk away,


	18. Peace of mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve forces Phe to undergo medical analysis, much to her dismay.

Phe hated doctors. She hated hospitals, she hated medicine, she practically hated everyone in the medical field...well,  _unless_  they were attractive. She tried explaining this to Steve, but he was hearing none of it. She could not even get one word out before he cut her off, stating it was protocol for anyone under any mental strain to go through a series of tests to make sure they are fit for duty. Basically, she was doing it and she had no say in the matter. He apparently  _did not care_  that she was not human, or that she was stronger both mentally and physically compared to everyone else. It was one of those 'You live under my roof, you follow my rules' type of situations. Had she not been so pissed off that she had to follow orders, she would have been turned on by how dominant and demanding he got with her in seconds.  

Despite her dying need to be rebellious since she hated being told what to do, she decided to enlighten him, agreeing to their medical staff's pointless procedures. After about four or five temper tantrums she gave - ones that he sat through patiently only to remind her that she was still going regardless- they made their way to the infirmary. While she got poked, oiled, and scanned, she told Steve that once they were done, and all their _highly unnecessary_  tests came back negative, he would definitely owe her strawberry smoothies and free massages for a week. She pouted a little when he only agreed to the smoothies, but decided to run with what he had given her.  

The tests did not take long, and as she previously had predicted, they all came up negative. She did show signs of contracting in certain parts of her head, confirming what she had told Steve multiple times already, she had a small headache. The doctor gave her the typical pain meds but she denied them, saying even if she took the whole bottle it would not help, there was not a high enough dosage in the world that would help her because of her very fast metabolism.  

After ripping the cotton taped to her arm in protest, she retreated to her room, stating getting away from the lab coats and beeping machinery was her main priority. With time, her headache had completely ceased. She sat at her table, reading one of the mystery series that Clint recommended to her while enjoying the quite confines of her quarters.  

She noticed the feet slowing toward her room and she sighed, closing the book between her fingers and looking toward her closed door. "Unless you have one of the seven smoothies you owe me Steve, you are  _not_  coming in here. I am still seriously pissed at you."  

The door slid open despite her warning, showing Steve standing outside her doorway, holding a clear plastic cup with pink contents resting inside of it. She met Steves eyes as he gestured the cup forward in her direction, his brows raising in suggestion. "A peace offering." He stated to her, waiting to see if she would accept his presence.  

She wanted to remain upset, but she knew her attempt ultimately failed when a small smile grew on her lips when she rolled her eyes and shook her head. She knew that gave him the confirmation he needed to allow him entry, and when the door shut, he made his way to what she now considered his unofficial assigned seat, considering the many times he visited he always seemed find his comfort there.  

"You're lucky I love strawberries and I think you're cute." Phe teased. She took her hand out of her novel, accepting the drink with bother her hands in excitement. She eyed the drink happily, taking a quick sip before continuing. "Otherwise I totally would have kicked you out."  

"All because I care for your health?" Steve asked with a smile. "Isn't that what friends do?"  

She looked up to him in shock, the long blue straw in-between her teeth. She released the straw, putting the cup down on the table. "You consider  _me_  a friend?"  

He eyed her, seemingly surprised at her question. "Of course, what else would I consider you?"  

"Oh I don't know." She began. With a shrug. "An embarrassment to your friends, a sarcastic waste of air, a desperate cry for help, I mean the list is endless spandex."   

"Let's just stick with friend." He nodded to her. A smile growing on his face at the nickname she had given him. She knew that probably gave him further confirmation she was no longer upset with him. Well that's what she hoped anyway.  

"Tell me, would a friend purposely ignore their friend and force them to undergo countless procedures even  _after_  they insist  _eighty-_ _seven_  times they are perfectly fine?" Phe asked with a smirk and small whine. "Do you realize I did all that for nothing?"  

"To answer that question yes, sometimes you have to force them to do things they don't want for their own good. Also, it was not for nothing." He explained and corrected. "It confirmed that you are indeed fine, and it gave me my own peace of mind."  

"It's honestly cute to know you are so concerned for my wellbeing." Phe smiled, taking another sip before placing the drink on the table in front of her.  

"It's my job." He nodded, causing Phe to frown slightly.   

"Could not let me feel special for even a second, could you?" She questioned her frown quickly forming to a smirk.  

She knew he would apologize, saying it was not what he meant. She of course was teasing him, but at the same time she would not deny that it did bother her that he considered her part of his job. It was a slight stab to her chest, why such a small comment would affect her at all left her slightly puzzled. Maybe it was because she never wanted anyone to feel they were obligated to take responsibility for her. She was no ones' duty, never was, never will be. She may be a bother to many, but she never made it to seem she wanted or ever needed anyone's help or concern. If for some reason Steve took it upon himself to feel this way, she wanted to make sure he knew that it was not necessary.  

"You know that is so not what I meant." He scolded.  

"I'm just saying, I can take care of myself. Your friends are not as capable as I am, you can focus more concern on them." She shrugged her blue straw becoming a good focus for her eyes.  

"Don't be like that." He stated simple, making her look up to him in confusion. "I won't apologize for what I said, It  _is_  my job, but _this here_  is on my off hours just so you know."  

"Wow! Steve rogers not apologizing? Consider me shocked." She smiled. 

"Guess you could say I'm used to you now." He laughed with a shrug.  

"That so?" She played, her right hand cupping her now perspiring smoothie. "Should I take that as a compliment?"  

"I willingly brought you the strawberry smoothie you wanted did I not?" He spoke with a raised brow.  

"That you did." She smiled, looking down to the table.  

 _What was this?_  She questioned to herself. She was drinking an ice-cold smoothie, there was absolutely no reason to feel this warm. She also felt slightly giddy, then again looking at someone as attractive as Steve was enough to make anyone feel happy. He was always so motivational and uplifting, something Phe truly admired because she was quite the opposite. They were opposites in many things really. He made people feel like the things they did held purpose and significance. He was the type of guy to give you the light that awaited at the end of a dark tunnel, you just had to keep going to reach it. He was the hope to the hopeless, the leader for those who were afraid to follow. She was the pain, she gave misery and despair to many and only led because she refused to follow. She  _made_  the directions and people followed because they had to, or because they feared her...or maybe both.   

"Since we are such good friends now, can I ask you a question?" She asked him, her eyes looking up to meet his. "I gotta test the boundaries and I am honestly highly curious about this." 

"Am I going to regret saying yes?" He questioned back, making her smirk  

"I mean, I hope not, but I can think of a question later that you may really reget me asking if you want." She winked, playing with the dripping water on her cup. "It's about back in your actual time period, ya know the one that confirms you are  _old as dirt_."  

"You're one to talk Mrs. Four billion years." He laughed.  

"Ohhhh Nice one." She complimented, a small laugh escaping her lips. "It is two to three billion years ass wipe." She corrected still smiling. "No but uh, and do stop me if i am crossing any lines here. I have read every file known to man in this place,  _with permission_  by the way, I just wanted-if you care to share of course-, to know a little more about Agent Peggy Carter."  

She saw his face change immediately. It was a face of admiration, of fond memory, and of  _pain_. She figured the name would strike something in him, which is why she made it very clear it was up to him if he would convey anything to her. Phe was very aware the two shared something in his past, which is why she felt so obligated to ask him about her. She wanted to know more about him, why he said the things he did, why he acted the ways he did. Phe was interested in what made Steve rogers the man he is today, and she knew that this woman... _H_ _is Peggy,_  was part of that reason.  

"I know she was special to you, but a file can only give so much ya know? You  _knew_ her, worked with her, knew things I'm sure no one else could possibly know. She fascinated me, and I uh...found myself curious on how she was, from your perspective." She kept her tone light, and serious. She wanted him to know this was not a joke, she was not being sarcastic, and she was not trying to get a rise out of him for her pleasure. She wanted him to know that everything she said, and everything she asked, was a respectful truth.  

His eyes glanced away from hers, now focused on the table. She could see he was contemplating and it made her began to feel slightly anxious. She found herself slightly hoping that he would chose to share, because that meant that he trusted her enough to share something that actually meant something to him. Something that was personal. It meant that he invited her into his circle and that would lead her to conclude that she and he were, in fact,  _friends._ if this was true, that means they actually built a trusted friendship _together,_  which is something she has not done with anyone is a very long time. 

"What about her?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair. His tone soft.  

She smiled. "I just...wanted to know what she was like. She seemed like such a special lady, especially if she caught your interest." She blinked, mentally slapping herself. Well crap, that statement had inadvertently slipped out her mouth, and there was no way she could take it back. She had hoped he did not find any hiding meaning in what she spoke, for there truly was none, at least not to her. However, she knew there was no way she about to let that hang there for him to possibly overthink. "What I mean is....Like...Look Spandex, you don't have to share if you don't want like I said, we are still in the bridge between acquaintance and friendship I'm sure so I just-"  

"She was amazing." He admitted, interrupting what she was sure had begun to turn into a babble. "She was strong, not afraid to break barriers and go against anything that she knew would compromise what she believed in. She was confident and courageous, her endless love and support for those around her was one of the many things that made her so beautiful, her physical features were only a bonus to a woman who was already beautiful. If not for her, I don't think I would not have accomplished the things that I have today. "  

He did not look at Phe while he described her but she did not mind. She could see him picturing her in his mind. She could feel him picking apart her every feature, making sure to paint her in the greatest way he could. Anyone could easily observe that he took joy in every memory he relieved when it came to her, Peggy was someone he would never let go of. She wanted to tell him she was giving her all the credit for something he held inside of him, and that she was only part of his puzzle, but she quickly decided against it.  

"Well, she sounds nothing short of perfect." Phe nodded, her eyes admiring the happiness on his face. "I'm sorry you did not have the chance at a true full life with her."  

"In a way I did." He admitted, causing Phe to tilt her head in wonder. "When I crashed that plane into the water that day, I gave her a chance to live her life by _her_  rules, she had the freedom to live the way she chose to, she could live free and happy. Knowing she died so happy with the life she lived is enough for me to continue living mine. I still fight everyday so I can give others that chance, Peggy's life to me, meant hope. Even now, I still happily look to her for hope. She was a lifeline to me then, she remains that way now. I owe a lot to her, in a way, I will always owe a lot to her."  

"Wow." Phe spoke in a whisper, her eyes refusing to leave his face. This was the second time she had become speechless in the span of a couple days. Only this time her silence was something she considered a warm welcome. She wanted the feelings in the air to settle. To linger just long enough for him to enjoy the bliss he was currently living. Phe felt Steve deserved a moment such as this. The constant responsibility he placed on his shoulders had to take a toll on even someone as mature and put together as him. She was not the type of person to rip something that special and unique from anyone, no matter how rude she made herself out to be.  

He finally regained his reality, taking a moment to look up to Phe and show a genuine smile that was enough to make Phe's knees oddly buckle in her seat. Had she been standing, she knew she would have swooned, totally by accident of course.  

"I have never heard anyone describe another being in that way." Phe admitted to him. "I mean, I know people who have been deeply in love, but it never came off like that." She brought her smoothie closer to her, the see- through plastic now showing the separation of the liquid and whatever ingredients were added to it. "Your short love story managed to exceeded time itself, that's a rare love indeed. You should be pleased, not many will ever experience anything so powerful."  

"I guess so." He nodded in agreement. "You know, you yourself have exceeded time." Steve stated making it sound more of a question than a statement. "What about you?"  

"What about me?" She asked him in confusion.  

"Have you ever...been in an actual relationship? I mean, have you truly loved anyone?"  

And there it is. The big question.  And there it sat, the air becoming quiet as she processed his question. The first time he had brought it up to her she had changed the subject at the blink of an eye. Had anyone else asked about love to her, she would have denied, she would have become angry, she would have possibly become violent. She felt her heart sink, but not in anger. It was an undying _agony_. The thought of love was the one thing in the stretches of the universe that caused her to feel true bitterness. Love was another element of life that confirmed how much of opposites Steve and her truly were. Where Steve felt happiness in the thought of it, she felt sorrow. Where he felt fondness and lived happy memories, she felt rage, and relieved terrible thoughts and feelings she forced herself to bury. She punished herself heavily anytime details of past found a way to crawl to the surface, because it only caused her to remember the things she spent so long trying to forget.  

It would have been easier to avoid answering all together, but he had just confided in her something that was of up-most importance to him. If he trusted her with that, she could indeed trust him with this.

She shook her cup in circles, countless droplet of water hitting her table. Her mind recalled her grief instantly. She smiled at him, doing everything in her power to hide her true feelings from him. If he saw her vulnerability, she knew he would regret opening up to her, she could not have that. She had given him the gift of momentary happiness and she needed him to keep that feeling as long as he could....for the both of them.  

"Well as we know I am not shy when it comes to certain.... _relations_." She explained with a smirk. "I have had my fair share of touch and go, an old girl like me has needs ya know. I am not ashamed at all" She laughed nervously. "But.... believe it or not I did in fact have... A certain amount of f _eelings_  for someone before, only once though.  _Shocking_  I did at all I know." Phe spoke out sarcastically. "My story is not as amazing as yours though. We had met by pure circumstance. We did not expect to connect as much as we did but hey, the universe made it so and who were we to question it." She explained, trying to make it as believable as she could.  

"He was  _oh_ _so_  handsome. Very intelligent, and an excellent fighter. One of the best of his kind actually. In many ways you do remind me of him." She complimented with a smile, her mind getting lost in her own memories. Her explanation made her heart sink further, the ground was sure to catch it the more she spoke, but she kept her composure and pressed on. "We spent so much time together, I mean, we were practically inseparable. It was like we were stuck in the earth version of the honeymoon phase for months." She chuckled, the separated smoothie now holding all her focus. "He taught me how to fight like him, in return I taught him how to Phase and some fighting skills I learned from different worlds...." She pushed the drink away suddenly, forcing herself to look back up to Steve who was watching and listening intently. "He eventually passed on of course, like I said, I outlive everyone. But, I can honestly he was the only one I have ever... _had_  ever connected with in that type of way."  

"What was his name?" Steve asked her, seemingly cautious in how he continued.    

She smiled, the thought of his name one aspect of joy that she could remember. "Brycen."  

He nodded to her, giving her a warm feeling as a small smile grew on his face as their locked eyes read each other in sync. "Well, if he caught  _your_  attention, and you can speak of him with such admiration, he must have been just as special to you, as Peggy was to me."  

Phe took a small breath, the feelings of hurt still rested within her, but hearing Steve's words, and knowing she had the ability to share the small memoires that once gave her joy with someone else that could relate in some way, gave her a temporary feeling of complacency. She felt for once that what she had was enough for her, at least for now. She knew Steve did not know what he had inadvertently done, but she knew she had to thank him. Somehow.  

She exhaled, looking into his eyes she allowed a full genuine smile of her own to grow on her face. Her gift too him was a simple sentence, one she hoped would extend her silent thanks. "He  _is_  as special to me, as Peggy  _always_  will be to you." It may have been simple on the surface, and she to him it may come off as such, but to her it was the best way she could express how grateful she was to him. It was her own secret way to show how grateful she was to have her own peace of mind, by the smile he gave her, She believed he got the message. 


	19. Morning History Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana and Bucky bond over breakfast. Alana then decides to shares part of her and Phe's history with him.

Looking upon the morning sky was always a blessing in disguise to Alana. The beginning of the day was different on other planets, but she always shared stories to Thor and Phe of how earth's mornings would always be one of her favorites. The swirling colors of bright and dark blue mixed graciously with soft overlaps of pink and orange. The partially formed clouds collided with each other, moving slow enough to where they looked almost still. The sun mixed every color so perfectly and effectively. All it had to do was rise, and once it slowly allowed its blinding light to spread along the layers of earth's atmosphere, it created an image so breathtakingly beautiful. It was one of those scientific mysteries Alana prayed remained unsolved. To her, some things just needed to be left alone. It should be enough to know that nature itself created something so alluring. Not everything required an explanation. Sometimes it was just good to take things in, just as they were.  

Alana was ecstatic that she got to the mess hall early enough to catch one of the few seats outside before it got to crowded. She loved eating breakfast outside because she got a nice view of the sky hitting the top of the trees just right. Not to mention the morning dew that she could see laying on the tips of the many grass blades on the land before her. Then, as a personal bonus, once she had her fill of the scenery, she could sit and read one of the books she had chosen from the tower library while enjoying the gentle morning breeze that would hit her skin ever so softly, keeping her body at a comfortable temperature.  

The decently sized round silver coffee table rested to her right. Her chair and body faced forward to properly face the ground floor balcony. Her right hand rested on the cool surface of the table, a small white bowl of grapes close to the tips of her fingers. Her left forearm rested against the side of her chest, her elbow pushing slightly into her hip as her fingers tightly gripped her book of choice;  _E_ _dgar_ _A_ _llen_ _P_ _oe_ _'s_ _Greatest works: Volume one_ _,_ the title read. It was a listing of the poet's most popular works, accompanied by lengthy explanations and side commentaries from various respected scholars on what their personal interpretation of each specific piece was. She always had an affinity for dark poetry, she once confessed to Phe that it was amazing how one mind can explain so much pain, insecurity, and despair without ever directly stating it. Phe would poke fun and would ask if she loved it so much because she could relate, but Alana would just laugh It off, never actually answering the question.  

She was very engrossed in her book of choice, having made it to the fifth chapter in a very short amount of time. She had been so engaged in fact, that she remained completely oblivious to the person that now stood on the opposite side of her table.  

The person cleared his throat calmly, causing Alana to look away from her book and up to his person in complete surprise.  

"Bucky, hey!" She exclaimed in excitement, a full smile being gestured toward him. She was happy to see him, but remained slightly surprised at his sudden appearance. She had no idea how long he had been waiting for him to notice her, and her curiosity was growing. She had hoped it was not too long, she had this tendency to overlook details if her attention was elsewhere. She turned her head to look behind her, as if the answer to her question was back in the mess hall. Seeing nothing, her focused returned to Bucky, her voice raising in happiness and slight concern. "I did not even see you there, I'm so sorry. How long have you been standing there?" She asked, her voice not able to hide the slight guilt she felt. 

"Not long don't worry." He commented with a wave. "I just walked up actually. This seat taken?" He asked, his right-hand landing on the neck of the pushed in silver chair in front of him.  

"No, please." She answered with a quick shake of her head. Her right hand extended to the seat across from her, giving him the invitation to sit, which he took. She watched him pull out the chair and make himself comfortable. In respect, she arose while he sat down. Switching her chairs' position, she faced away from the balcony, now displaying herself in front of her unexpected company.  

"It's nice to see you, how is your morning coming along?" She asked him. She placed her book down, the piece of literature lying closed to the left of the white bowl of grapes she delicately picked at. She helped herself to her small breakfast, picking up one of grouped green oval shaped fruits and placing it in her mouth.  

"Fine, thanks for asking." He replied, with a small smile. "Took a quick shower before coming here to get a quick bite to eat. I had a early morning jog with Steve, it's kind of a morning routine we share every day." He explained. His tone friendly. Ii saw you sitting alone and thought I'd say hi. How about you? Is that all you're eating?" He questioned, his eyes going to the small bowl beside her.  

She nodded, knowing someone as big and toned as he, would no doubt think something like grapes was abnormally small. "That's cool. And mine is alright, I was enjoying the sunrise for a bit, then I decided to catch up on some reading. I read basically every book available in Asgard while I was there,  _multiple times._  When I found out this huge place had a library I practically ran there. Finding something I have not read eight times before is a very nice change. As for my breakfast, I can indeed confirm that this  _is_  in fact all I am eating. Not all of us has the appetite of a starved male lion ya know."  

" _Ouch_." He spoke, faking offense. "I will have you know I eat like a starved male alligator, my diet consists of meats, and maybe one salad a week."  

"Dude. That is like, extremely unhealthy." Alana called out, shaking her head as she consumed another grape. "How can you run with Steve at all with that kind of meal plan."  

"Eh, the serum helps." He explained with a shrug. "I run it all off easily anyway, nothing ever sticks to the hips."  

Alana snickered, finding slight amusement in his comment. "Well,  _my_  diet consists of evenly distributed amounts of fruits and veggies, followed by little bread products, and a very sparse amount of red meat."  

"Dude. That is like...so boring." He mocked, earning a playful glare from her. "And by the way, the meat is not red when I eat it, I like it cooked and crispy."  

"That  _so_  does not even matter." She explained, respectfully swallowing before she continued. "Heavy amounts of meat is unhealthy, regardless of how well it is cooked. You _need_  veggies and fruits."  

"You _need_  to attend a proper barbeque, if you did you would not be saying that." Bucky explained, wagging his right pointer finger at her.  

"I can't even finish a hot dog." She spoke to him. "Much less half a cow."   

"It is not even half!" He exclaimed.  

"You know what I mean Bucky." She pushed, throwing a grape at him. He caught it with his metallic hand, holding it up to show her, before plopping it in his mouth.  

"You just stole part of my breakfast, now I have no choice but to starve." She joked, her voice dramatic.  

"You threw it at me first." He shrugged, still chewing. "I mean If you want I could give it back." He offered his right hand reaching up to his lips.  

"No, No!" She exclaimed quickly, her left hand held up in front of him. "It's fine, I did not want that grape anyway."  

He mumbled a simple hmm in response, swallowing what was left in his mouth. His head gestured down to the book in front of her as he brought his arms to rest on top of one another on the table. His hands gripped his elbows as he leaned forward slightly to observe the book. "What book did you choose from the library?"  

She raised a brow, allowing his question to process before she mumbled a light oh in realization, picking up the book to show it off as he leaned back in his chair, leaving his arms on the table. "This is a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's greatest works. I'm only on volume one though. It's just pieces of his work analyzed by different scholars, saying what they think of it, and what they think it means. It's interesting to me."  

She once again found herself feeling awkward as she spoke. She knew that things that interested her, would not necessarily interest anyone else. She did not want to bore anyone by over speaking about what she thought was interesting, or bother explaining something that she could tell no one cared about anyway.  

"Oh, that's pretty cool." Bucky nodded simply. She could not help but feel put off by his statement, thinking immediately that she bored him with her overzealous explanations. "I used to read some poetry back in my day, not too much, we were always kept busy back then."  

She blinked, showing surprise at his confession. " _You_ , read poetry?"   

"Sure, if I had the time." He confirmed. "Why? Are you shocked?" He asked with a raised brow.  

"I mean not gonna lie yes." She nodded. "It's just shocking to know that someone who can wolf down a cheeseburger is less than two minutes would be interested in something as soft as poetry." She could not help but chuckle at his reaction. The glare was clearly fake, but she shrugged anyway, playing along in his second fake hurt attempt.  

"Hey now, just because I take joy in consuming the fine delicacies of cow, chicken and ham, does not mean I hated learning and lack a soft side."  

"Ah I see, soft side with books, rough side with food." She joked.  

"Exactly." He confirmed sarcastically with a small chuckle.  

"Ya know, fun fact, I was here for a very short while during the forties." She confessed to him, making it his turn to look at her in surprise, seemingly entranced by her confession. 

"What Really? When?" He asked her.  

"Phe and I had arrived  _way_  before your second world war started, we were not here long after though. I was originally sent here by my parents. It was what they called an  _in_ _t_ _roductory_ _period_  for me. Basically, they wanted a way to get me more 'cultured' so to speak, with other ways of life. I had been around so many parts of the galaxy already, but they knew you were the only real planet that gradually changed your ways of life in such short time spans. Much more than any other race actually, so they sent us here."   

"When did you leave?" He asked her, urging her to continue. She could see the honest interest in his eyes the more she explained the different parts of her history.  

"A good few weeks before the war was over. I had to." She began. Her eyes watched her right pointer finger circling leisurely around the bowl in front of her. Her mind clicked in sync with her heart, giving her voice confidence to express her answer to him. "My powers were growing rapidly with each passing day, they started becoming too....  _Foreign_  to me. It almost felt like I didn't know myself anymore. My control was slowly slipping and I got scared. I could not risk causing harm to innocents, so, I left.  My new goal was to learn control and come back when I was ready. Obviously Phe and I came back, but the world had changed dramatically from before. We had to adapt to a whole new way of life,  _while_ coming to grasp with our new power."   

"I can understand the frustration." Bucky sympathized. "Even now there are times Steve and I talk about how a lot of the time we still don't know what the heck is going on. We have been out of our element for  _years_  now. It's hard going into something blindly and trying to come out on top while keeping yourself sane. What I  _have_  learned though, is that you can't rush time. Everything comes when it needs to, you just have to be ready to ride the wave". 

She met Bucky's eyes, nodding with a smile at his advice. It felt unfamiliar to her to have anyone so interested in anything that concerned her personally. She traveled far and wide for many years, but it was never anything for such an extended period like it was when she got to earth. She traveled to train. She went planet to planet, learning what anyone was willing to teach her, then she moved on quickly. In that long-time frame, she never truly learned how to properly adapt to any environment she was in, because she never stayed long enough for it to ever matter.  She, unlike Phe, had no interpersonal training, making her very secluded and awkward in most social situations. Now, compared to before, she noticed how much easier it was becoming for her to not only adapt, but to openly accept kindness and friendship that she received daily from her peers.  

Thor had been one of the first beings she had ever encountered that she considered a true friend. He listened, he helped and comforted her, not because he was obligated, but because he _wanted_  to. At least that is what he told her the countless times she would thank him. Now she had a group of people treating her in ways she thought she could only experience with Phe, who was also a friend to Alana, but in a much deeper sense.   

"Anyway." Alana started. Her thoughts coming to a halt. "That's a little morning history lesson about me, since you apparently love to learn."  

"Well, I for one feel ten times smarter now." He remarked sarcastically. "Thank you for the lesson." 

"Well you know, that number would be  _a lot_ higher if you ate more fruits and vegetables. Just saying." Alana informed, smiling as she popped another grape in her mouth.  

"Okay Alana, you can shut up now."


	20. Requested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce contemplates going through with Liara's personal request.

"You are  _absolutely_ _sure_ , Fury said this was okay?" Bruce asked for what seemed like the fifteenth time.  

"I mean, unless I am all of a sudden starting to dream about having conversations with him, then yes. I am sure." Liara confirmed with a deep sigh and roll of the eyes. "Like I told you a couple days ago, and  _ten minutes ago_ , I let him in on the idea before I came to you, and he gave the okay. He said, and I quote _'_ _express caution, and don't make a mess._ ' Funny enough, he's been telling me that exact same line for years. I haven't listened to the suggestion yet."  

Bruce sighed, her continuous sarcastic comments was easily making this ordeal even harder for him to accept. He could see the seriousness in what she wanted him to do, but the fact she played it off like some type of joke only made him fidget in discomfort. He had already compiled a list of regrets in the back of his mind right after Liara came to him a few days ago. It was not until he actually found himself sitting on the stool in the med lab, tools lined up neatly in front of him, did he realize this entire idea seemed completely insane. He did not want to cause anyone harm, especially not some woman he barely knew.  

He took in the sight of the woman before him, thinking back to the conversations exchanged between the two a couple days prior, trying to find anything that could bring him comfort, or give him any indication that he should not involve himself with this at all.  

 **_Flashback_ **  

 _"You're lucky I pulled you from those two when I did." The woman spoke walking slowly beside him. "A few more seconds and you could have_ _acquired_ _PTSD from th_ _eir_ _horrifying conversation. You can thank me later_ _._ _" She looked to her right and winked, her attention going back to the floor._  

 _"Honestly it was like having another Tony around, eventually you just block it out." He commented with a small shrug_ _. "A few words slip in your hearing every now and again, but_ _ultimately_ _I never pick up on any of it."_  

 _Liara_ _let out a short laugh, nodding at his statement. "Nice_ _. Only problem is with bitch bird, she_ _wi_ _ll_ _repeat whatever you ignored_ _until_ _you give her a response. I_ _volunteered_ _to silence her with a bullet since_ _it's still hunting season, but Alana won't_ _let me."_  

 _Bruce smirked at the comment, noting to himself that had she been given the chance, she probably would have really attempted her threat_ _._ _"_ _I think everyone has taken note of the bad vibes between you two."_  

 _"Bad vibes does not even come close to describing it." She corrected. "_ _She smells bad, her attitude is worse, and the fact she tries to nab every man in sight like the hoe she is makes it hard to shop for_ _eligible_ _men. If she likes it, I hate it by default."_  

 _He glanced over to her, shocked at how bold and upfront she when she spoke. H_ _er up front_ _attitu_ _de_ _and overall sentence structure made it seem_ _like a_ _conversation was being_ _shared_ _between_ _old colleagues, or old_ _friends_ _that were getting_ _reacquainted_ _with each other. The atmosphere she set was_ _surprisingly_ _friendly,_ _in her_ _own_ _odd,_ _slightly_ _awkward, minor crazy_ _way_ _._  

 _Of course,_ _he_ _still_ _felt_ _awkward. Why wouldn't he? Despite her bold disposition he could not help but feel out of place in her_ _pres_ _ence_ _. They were still two complete strangers_ _who only ever_ _interacted at mission briefings._ _An_ _d_ _even in that_ _circumstance_ _interaction was slim to none._ _The_ _most he had even_ _knew about her up to this point_ _was her name. The only other piece of_ _information_ _he knew was_ _that she had apparently needed his_ _assistance_ _in a 'personal matter', one that she had not yet shared with him._  

 _"I don't mean to be rude." Bruce began, stopping mid step in the hallway. This_ _forced_ _the she-_ _wolf_ _to back track to his position. "But you said you needed my assistance with something personal. I_ _have yet to be told what that even is." He did not want to come off as rude, or that he was rushing her, but he_ _preferred_ _having the_ _facts_ _he needed to put together in front of him. He hated_ _having to wait for information he needed, the thought_ _of_ _not_ _knowing pieces of information that may concern him made him feel_ _out of control, and slightly unstable. He already felt that way enough on his own, he did not need the added stress._  

 _"Jesus,_ _Relaaa_ _x_ _Jekyll."_ _Liara_ _rolled out with a smirk. "_ _Take a breath,_ _I'_ _m_ _not a serial_ _kille_ _r_ _or anything._ _'m_ _going_ _to let you in on the reason I asked for you_ _. We Just have to get to a secure location first."_  

 _"The Avengers base_ _is a secure location." He stated plainly. The nickname was a bit much, but it_ _was the_ _least of his concerns at the moment, so he decided to just let it go._  

 _"Well,_ _considering_ _bug boy broke into your secure facility on a flying ant not_ _to_ _long ago, and I_ _hacked into your totally secure_ _high-_ _tech_ _computers with my eyes half closed, I'm_ _gonna_ _call out that lie you just told_ _." She noted to him_ _. She_ _gave a crooked smile,_ _slipping_ _her hands into her jacket pockets and began_ _walking forward without him._ _"I don't want anyone to know my_ _business, meaning no one needs to hear, see, smell, touch, or think about anything I'm doing without my say so."_ _Liara_ _turned around to face him, her feet carrying her backwards slowly. "_ _N_ _ow, bring your fine ass on down_ _this_ _hallway so_ _I can tell you what I want before you drown in_ _your own_ _anxiety_ _....._ _which I will happily fix with some good_ _old fashioned_ _CPR by the way_ _." She_ _winked_ _, whipping her body to turn back to her original position._  

 _Bruce looked around momentarily, before a very familiar_ _sigh_ _of defeat escaped his lips as he forced himself forward to follow behind her. I_ _n his mind, h_ _e_ _pictured himself shaking his head at the irony of his current situation_ _._ _H_ _e observed_ _almost_ _immediately that_ _Liara_ _was without a doubt_ _just as, if not thirty times more, sarcastic and unbelievably_ _quick witted as_ _Phe_ _and T_ _ony were._  

 _He followed_ _Liara_ _down the_ _never-_ _ending_ _hallway, finally stopping upon one of the quarter doors built into the right side_ _of_ _the wall._  

 _"_ _Who's_ _room is this?" He asked the back of her head. His face_ _contorting_ _in confusion._ _The_ _pink tips of her hair spread out neatly against the hood of her jacket, swaying in sync with her body as she turned to face him while the doors opened._  

 _"Mine,_ _Duh." She answered, walking into her room._  

 _"This is your idea of a secure location?" He asked in disbelief,_ _standing just outside the doorway_ _._ _His_ _suspicions_ _he felt previously resurfacing._  

 _"Uh yeah, duh." She stated in a matter of fact tone. He could not understand why she looked at him as if he had no right to be as confused and_ _suspicious_ _as he was. "Nicholas_ _had my room specially designed so that no sound can_ _travel in, or out of this room. No bouncing waves either._ _"_  

 _"Why would he do that?" He asked her, still_ _refusing_ _to walk forward._  

 _She rolled her eyes, clearly catching on to his uneasy_ _feeling. "Well_ _one, because I am very special, and he loves tending to my very specific_ _needs." She started, causing Bruce to mentally sigh._ _"Second_ _....._ _" She jogged_ _up to the door_ _way now standing face to face with him. Without warning,_ _her_ _right_ _hand_ _grabbed_ _a_ _hold_ _of his right arm,_ _yanking him_ _into her room. She_ _flung_ _him forward,_ _ca_ _using_ _him to stumble deeper into her quarters_ _, while she_ _pressed_ _the button to close her_ _door, sealing them inside._  

 _He_ _had no time to react, before he could protest and regain his footing_ _the doors had already shut closed behind him. His back remained toward the_ _door, a slight twinge of anger forming in his chest_ _for what he considered very_ _rude behavior o_ _n_ _her part. He quickly regained his composure, deciding to force his focus on_ _how strong her grip and pull_ _was_ _on his arm. He also took notice to how his ears_ _suddenly_ _felt uncomfortably_ _empty. it was as if he was missing_ _something inside of him that caused his ears to feel anxious, if that was even possible._ _T_ _here_ _w_ _ere_ _no background noises_ _, no clicks or ticks, no hums or whistles. The_ _voices and_ _scattered conversations_ _he heard outside had now completely vanished._ _I_ _t was like they were completely isolated from the feeling and very idea_ _of sound_  

 _"M_ _y_ _hearing is_ _heightened_ _to an extreme volume." She began to explain to him, he turned around to face her, a look_ _of_ _shock_ _on his face. Did she not care that this could be considered_ _kidnapping?_ _Probably not he concluded quickly._ _He had_ _taken_ _a short breath, ready_ _to interrupt her speech_ _with his protests, when his thoughts_ _were_ _momentarily_ _put on hold. He watched her remove what seemed to look like mechanic ear plugs from her ear. They were purple in color, a small flashing purple light resonated from what was clearly the face of the earpiece._  

 _"I have no choice but to wear these anywhere and everywhere I go, except this room obviously, because if I don't, every single article of_ _sound_ _collides like endless scattered gunshots directly in my eardrum. If you can't guess, that is not pleasant in the least_ _." She explained while_ _walking over to the_ _computer desk_ _to his left. She_ _plopped_ _the pieces of technology_ _down on the desk and turned to face him fully._ _She crossed_ _her arms_ _against her chest, forcing her yellow eyes to fully meet his for the first time she borrowed_ _him from the science lab._  

 _"That is why he made the room this way_ _._ _I_ _t's the only_ _way_ _I'll_ _be able to take those things out my ear_ _and sit like a semi_ _normal_ _person instead of looking like I'm always at a metal_ _concert_ _." She shrugged. "This is the most secure place in this tower because Fury made it so, don't believe me?_ _A_ _sk him yourself. H_ _e'll tell you what I did, we are so in sync that way."_  

 _He could only eye her in his form of a_ _silent apology. He felt bad now that he knew what she had to live with, and he felt worse for thinking she was lying, but it was his nature to be_ _suspicious_ _of anyone he did not know._  

 _"_ _Anyway.._ _" She started. "Since you were_ _oh_ _so eager to figure out why I_ _needed you, here_ _ya_ _go." She turned behind her, grabbing a small yellow file on top of an_ _organized set of papers. She extended it in his direction, watching him as he remained silent, but took the file to review it._  

 _Inside, were_ _var_ _ious_ _papers that listed very specific instructions, along with a list of tools and_ _potential_ _side effects_ _to a type of blood transfusion and Intraosseous infusion, which is injection straight into the_ _bone_ _marrow_ _of a_ _patient. He had seen this_ _before, having gone through a similar procedure himself, while General Ross_ _experimented_ _with_ _an_ _unstable hulk mixture on_ _one_ _of his men. Neither had the_ _desired_ _outcome._ _He remained still in the middle of_ _Liara's_ _room_ _,_ _quietly skimming over the details of every paper he flipped through._  

 _After a couple minutes of repeated review, he shook his head, still finding himself lifting up the papers to review again_ _._  

 _"I don't understand." He finally spoke, his voice sounding far_ _remindin_ _g_ _him no waves would bounce as long as he remained w_ _ith_ _her._ _"What exactly is this for?"_  

 _"It's to keep_ _the_ _wolf_ _gene aka my blood, from overtaking my body completely." She answered._  

 _"Well, what is your blood toxic? What_ _happens if it does take over?" He asked, looking up from the file in his hands._  

 _"Lots of things, mainly bad_ _....well_ _for the person in my way anyway." She explained. "Think of it like those horribly directed wolf films where there is the one idiot guy who gets bit after going into the woods for some_ _reason._ _Ya_ _know_ _he_ _turns on the full moon, gets all mad and mean,_ _goes on a_ _killing_ _spree. Then afterwards wakes up with complete memory loss._ _" She_ _slid_ _her hands back in her pockets. "That's basically it, only I don't turn on full moons. I mean, if it's the right person I_ _can_ _get_ _turned on by a different full moon, but I digress." She shrugged._  

 _"So, y_ _ou_ _can turn into a crazed wolf at_ _any time_ _because of your toxic_ _blood?"_  

 _"_ _No. But_ _close Dr._ _Je_ _kyll_ _._ _I've_ _never turned full wolf at_ _all_ _. I just have werewolf tendencies. I have what you call a._ _..split_ _personality if I go off the deep end. Let's just say you.... would not like her when she's angry_ _....did_ _you see, did_ _ya_ _see_ _what I did there?_ _" She asked with a smirk. "_ _God,_ _I love me."_  

 _"And what exactly is this split personality?" He asked her._  

 _"_ _Exac_ _tly_ _what I said, a split personality. Back in M_ _exico,_ _the towns folk gave her a name,_ _G_ _uerra. If_ _you want that story I'm_ _gonna_ _need dinner first. "_  

 _"Okay, let me see if I_ _got this right." He began, closing the file and_ _holding_ _it right in his left hand. "You have some type of toxic wolf blood in your system that is starting to overtake your body, if it does, you go postal. So, you want to try this very risky procedure to try and what...postpone it somehow?"_  

 _"If you are this_ _knowledgeable_ _in the bed room, my interest in you just doubled." She winked at him. "but yeah pretty much._ _Apparently,_ _this is also not a_ _one-_ _time_ _ting. Lucky_ _me,_ _right? The new blood will eventually get contaminated, so I_ _will need_ _continuous_ _highly painful treatments_ _depending_ _on how fast I filter the new blood."_  

 _"What do you need me for then, there are dozens of highly qualified doctors to do this here on base." He noted, to which she shook her head._  

 _"No. This needs to be done in secret. I can't have all these doctors touching up on me and getting in my space. Besides, I was told you have dealt with this type of procedure before."_  

 _"I have_ _dealt_ _with something like this before." He corrected. "Both times did not have positive results."_  

 _"B_ _ut you tried it did you not? You did, don't play it off." She conversed. "_ _You_ _had a_ _theory_ _, you tested it and it failed. All_ _experiments_ _are run that way, just think of me as the_ _guinea_ _pig, ready for you to poke and stab_ _for the advancement of science. I could get all tingly just thinking about it._ _"_  

 _Bruce looked back down to the file in his hand. "I_ _don't_ _know..." He spoke silently. "Does fury know about this?"_  

 _"Where do you think I got all the instructions from?"_ _Liara_ _asked. "I came to him before you with the idea, since I'm_ _gonna_ _be in his med lab using his scientist –total pun intended- I had to ask, plus he would have found out since he loves to snoop. His only request_ _is that I express caution and don't make a mess._ _"_  

 _Bruce was still unsure, and he saw that she sensed it. She walked forward, snatching the file from his hand and dropping it_ _be_ _hind_ _her earphone on the table._  

 _Liara's_ _eyes met_ _his as she clasped_ _her hands together in front of her body. "_ _Trust_ _and believe you me,_ _If I could do this_ _myself_ _,_ _I_ _would_ _. However,_ _I_ _need someone else to reach in those hard to reach_ _areas and_ _crevice's_ _. Who better than one who apparently knows what_ _he's doing?_ _"_ _She smirked, a small dimple_ _appearing on her left cheek. "_ _Seriously_ _though, this is the only option I have had in a very long time. I need to at least try one time,_ _obviously_ _to_ _prove that it_ _doesn't_ _work. That way I can rub a certain subjects nose in_ _it. So, tell me Jekyll,_ _w_ _ill_ _you help?_ _"_  

 **_End of flashback_ **  

He nodded to himself, realizing what he had to do. He understood now why he had accepted her request. Despite her continuous sarcastic remarks, he could see that it was not only Tony that he saw in her, but parts of himself. She was desperate for help to prevent becoming something that could do unspeakable harm. If anyone understood that type of desperation, it was him. Who was he to turn down someone asking for help?    

 


	21. Free Thinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While walking through the Tower to meet up with Thor, Alana comes to a sudden, very painful realization.

There were not many days the red-haired alien female felt she could actually go out and enjoy the days that had been graciously provided by the universe. Back on Asguard, her free time had been replaced with training or pointless busy work she had purposely found or provided for herself. She did not always work however, Thor and Odin made sure of that. She would walk the castle grounds, visit the library, even watch the various training seminars led by the warriors three. There was never a time that Alana was not busy, she always had a task to do, something to watch, something to learn, or at the very least a plan of what she needed to do. She found herself at a loss when she was told by the director that with no current leads to follow, and with information still being processed an evaluated, no one had any responsibilities to carry out. Any paperwork would be handled by the office staff, while any technological or scientific work would be done by the other hired hands in the tower. She had the rest of the day to herself, and she had no idea what to do.

Phe was out with Steve, they were going to try out some new coffee place called Starbucks that Steve had told her about, and with her growing obsession with the ground coffee bean and the star-spangled soldier, there was _no way_  Phe would allow Alana to accompany them unless it was absolutely necessary.  Wanda was with Vision, what they were doing she did not know, but she did explain they would always just sit and talk, their company being soothing for each other. That was not something Alana could not find herself interrupting. Natasha was doing hand to hand training with new students, Tony left to do his own thing, and there was absolutely no way she would bother Bucky during his workout sessions. She was nice that way. Being back on earth during such a different time made it difficult for her to find something that peaked her own interest. There was so much to do, especially since they were in New York, but she did not want to do it by herself, nor would she even know where to start. 

She tried reading, but anytime she looked down to the words on the page Liara's taunting voice would ring in her head that she was being utterly lame. The yellow eyed wolf explained she was currently doing yoga, and through her very amazing peripheral's she noticed Bucky's very built, very  _shirtless_  presence in the gym. Alana argued that Liara took a bit too much joy in informing her about the ex-assassin's workout routines, to which Liara quickly rebutted that had she seen what she was currently looking at instead of sitting in her room sulking, she would have taken as much enjoyment looking, as much as she enjoyed explaining. After about an hour of going back and forth, and trying to read four different books at the same time, she knew her focus would not remain on any literature at the present time, so she dropped the book idea entirely.

She also considered the park, but with it being such a warm evening she knew there were going to be too many people out for her liking. She felt slightly paranoid being under the eye of certain people, her feeling of being judged by her appearance was a great hindrance when in different social situations, especially since she came to the humanoid planet. She could hide her discomfort well, but she would never force herself to go out in larger crowds unless she needed to, or unless she was with enough people, ensuring that all the attention would not be on her.  

She began to notice how her constant overthinking seemed to get considerably worse when she was bored. Maybe deep down in her subconscious she knew that would happen, which is why she spent so much time trying to keep busy whenever she could. It was not like she could not be proud of herself however, this was the longest time she actually spent looking for something to do rather than reading, or training. Thor would always speak of rejoicing the day she found something other than Asgardian lore and history to focus on.    

That was when it clicked. 

Thor.

Thor was still on base, and he had remained on tower grounds most of the day for some type of meeting he had made with the director. Since they had arrived on earth, neither of them really had the time to spend together as they had in years past. Back on Asgard, anytime she felt distress or vice versa, they would seek each other's company. She absolutely adored talking to Thor, whenever she did she felt her many insecurities subside in an instant. His willingness to listen and advise without much judgment was something she greatly admired. 

 The silver eyed female sent F.R.I.D.A.Y. to question if the god of thunder would be available to accompany her to the avengers longue for a series of recreational activities. The Irish voice responded back rather quickly. She reported that Thor was still speaking with the director, but he would have no problem meeting her as soon as he left the directors presence. 

After thanking the AI for her assistance, Alana, before departing her quarters, overlooked her outfit. She nodded at herself, taking in her light blue long sleeve shirt that complimented her black jeans and black ankle boots nicely. She took some time to look at her hair, fixing It to hang over both her shoulders.  She was starting to like the color of her hair a lot more ever since Wanda kept bringing up how jealous she was when it came to her fire locks. 'It never clashes with any outfit, even with the red-orange Ombre' she spoke. Alana just simply laughed it off, but thanked her for her kind words. 

After one last look over herself, she carried herself out her room and through the semi busy hallways, eager to reach her final destination. She knew she had some time to kill, so instead of taking the elevator down four floors, she opted to stroll through each floor and observe the everyday work and activities of the many people that worked in the tower. 

On each floor she kept her body close to the far-right wall. She did not want to accidently bump into anyone going in the opposite direction, and she also wanted to give enough space for anyone behind her to easily pass around her with no issue, seeing as she was walking a lot slower than most of the staff. The hallways were not nearly as flooded with people as it was in the morning time, but the atmosphere was still very uptight, very rushed and active. The incoherent gossip shared between partners and friends that strolled together were accompanied by rushed yet evenly paced footsteps, which cleverly differentiated the several mixed intentions and goals of the peoples around her. 

 Alana could tell the people who worked at the base were treated fairly well. Most people who had spoken to her shared the common thought that when it came down to it, everyone respected each other and took their job seriously. They explained that working indirectly, and in many cases directly with the Avengers, was the key element in the facilities overall focus and work ethic. The earths mightiest heroes took it upon themselves to interact with their staff whenever possible, which Alana had noticed the moment she arrived. From lending a hand in combat and weapons training, to critiquing scientific ideas and experiments, they always found time to work with anyone they could, when they could. The connection the Avengers held with their workers gave the copious number of employees' motivation to know everything they learned and worked toward held importance in some way. When one succeeds, they all succeed. 

It was times such as these that Alana would wonder, if she had met the Avengers, or at least people with this sort of determination and sense of unity generations ago, what would have changed in her life? Had groups and individuals like the people here crossed her path, maybe then the many unfortunate circumstances and outcomes of her existence that she shared with Phe could have been avoided. In turn, she could then feel as motivated and determined as everyone else. Had she gotten the constant backing, comfort, and boost to her confidence she knew she needed, then maybe the decisions she now deemed mistakes, would never have been made. 

She knew her brain would eventually wrap and warp the encouraging atmosphere she had been enjoying into something pessimistic and depressing. No matter how many positive aspects she found in anything, the cynical thoughts always found ways to arise, causing a grueling back and forth battle between motivation and crippling depression. She hated the conflict in her head more than anything, but for her, being alone and watching how others thrive so easily had its advantages and disadvantages. It _was_  uplifting, but the thoughts of inadequacy were impossible to ignore since she felt most of her own exploits denied her success, and instead gave nothing but constant distress and paralyzing guilt. 

In all of this, Alana knew one thing was for certain, the Avengers were walking success stories. The failures they each lived through in their lives were deemed obsolete because they took their faults and lived by example. That was why they were so respected. That was why she recognized that she did not deserve to be among them. Their short comings and dark sides were the elements that gave them power to right the wrongs of the world. They may have found themselves at odds with each other for a time, but they still trusted one another, and worked through every problem until they found a solution that could benefit not one, but all. 

Alana berated herself for taking so long to finally see what Thor had been trying to tell her weeks ago. His teammates were understanding because of who they were, and what they each had been through. She could have come clean from the start and worked with them knowing who she really was, all the while finding ways to fix her mistakes. But of course, she had refused to say anything. She put off the truth for far too long. She had forced Phe and Liara to keep secrets, while holding her own due to her personal insecurities and fear's. The new relationships she grew to respect and admire were completely dependent on half-truths and hidden affairs. She was now fully aware of the many opportunities to divulge the truth that had been placed before her. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Now. With so much time passed, it only made the option of coming clean even harder than before. She had a lot to confess, but trust was delicate, it could only take so much before the damage it takes renders the pure emotion completely destroyed. 

Alana reached her journeys end, she came to a stop just before her body would come to full view in the transparent glass. Thor's voice rang through the open door and her nerves had become tight. Her fingers would clench tight the more she processed the thoughts in her mind, and she felt her heart sink into her stomach. She started to slightly panic, once again she made a choice based off of emotion and it was coming back to bite her harder than ever before. She had made a horrible,  _horrible_  mistake.  

It did not matter. She had to at least look okay, if she were to tell any of this to Thor anything short of sincerity, he would listen, but would not receive the message she knew she needed to tell him. Her epiphany was sudden, but the thought of it sent a small dose of relief through her spine. Was what she was going to confess the right choice? Maybe. Would she regret it? Possibly. Was it necessary? Absolutely. 

With a deep breath, and a forced a full smile, she pressed forward, entering the longue with joy once her eyes met with her friend. He returned a loving smile, arising from his seated position on the sideways two-cushioned leather couch to extend his arms out to her. She walked into them, wrapping her arms securely around his waist and resting her head against his chest. She felt a strong sense of security flow through her, much like anytime she embraced him. It was the feeling of safety that always made her hold onto him longer than needed, mostly because she craved the opportunity to give her mind and soul even a small feeling of peace. She needed it. Especially now. 

She had to tell them everything. From start to finish. No matter the consequences. Thor was aware of everything before Asgard, and he and Odin witnessed everything that happened during her time there. He had always been with her then, and she prayed to the gods that he would still want to be with her now. 


	22. Piece After Piece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learning of Alana's sudden decision, Thor, Liara, Phe, and Alana herself discuss her change of mind, and many parts of Phe and Alana's troubled past, finally comes to light.

"Are you kidding me?!" Phe yelled in annoyance. "You eat some grapes in front of a hot guy  _one time_  and you suddenly have a conscience?!" The white-haired female began to pace back in forth frantically, then paused to suddenly look down to the bed that Alana sat at the edge of. " I  _finally_  start to get somewhere with Steve, Alana, I  _finally_  have reached somewhere, and now you wanna start spilling beans?! I knew you hated me, I knew it. This is just to get back at me."  

"Typical, always making it about your stank ass." Liara spoke from Alana's love seat. "Anyway, I think this is the perfect time to do it." Her arms extended over the head of the couch, while her right leg crossed comfortably over her left leg. "Not like you two should have said anything  _weeks ago_  or anything, not like I tooold you before to say anything. Your timing is amazing for real."  

"The important thing is that she wants to confess Ms. Liara." Thor called from the other edge of the room. He sat at Alana's table, left elbow rested upon the polished glass as he over looked the three females "Timing or no, it needs to be addressed." 

"So proper." Liara teased with a smile. "I like it, but you don’t do anything for me, sorry."  

Thor clenched his brows in confusion as Phe forced her focus back to Alana, who's exposed caramel arms rested crossed on her separated legs. Her hands rested outward above the floor, holding tightly onto each other while her body leaned forward slightly. "If we do this, Bucky is gonna  _hate_  your soul, you know that right? You may  _never_  bed him. Think about that."  

"Ha, like he has any right to judge anyone." Liara chuckled.  "He aint no saint. But I do like how it took your chances with ghetto booty being completely  _shredded_  to pieces for you to say metal arms name right. Daww." Liara teased. "I mean, lets be real though Steve would not touch you regardless, his virgin hands would be tainted.  Don't worry bitch bird, I'll take care of his lower half for you, that's all he's good for anyway."   

"Listen here you buck toothed canine" Phe hissed "Steve is a precious gem who must be protected at all costs. Worry about ya nasty booger man Bruce." 

"Ohh I will." Liara responded seemingly unbothered. Her signature crooked smirk rested comfortably on her face as she continued. " f he is a booger I'll happily pick him."  

"You're disgusting."  

"I really am." She confirmed. "I don't see the problem here, I am just trying to help Steve relieve the tension he is gonna have when he finds out how much of a lying slut you are." 

"Correction." Phe noted. "I have never lied. Ever. Like you, you tick ridden disease, I withheld information."  

"You two never stop do you" Thor asked, still seated at Alana's table, his eyebrows coming together. Both women looked in his direction and he shook his head. "Your constant bickering is not what we should be focused on." 

"Her sitting there sulking like a bitchy baby because she waits till the last minute to do  _everything_ is not what we should be focused on either." Phe argued quickly. "She can't even look me in the eye and explain  _why_  she decided now was the time to tell a least _one_ , of the secrets being held around here."  

"Because like you said I wait till the last minute and the more I wait the worse it gets." Alana called out, her head lifting to look at Phe. "When I made you guys keep the secret before, that was for our protection.  _Now_  it's just making everything too complicated-"  

"You mean it's one of the numerous secrets your hiding from your man crush, and the thought of him finding out himself and hating you has got you all soft." Phe called out harshly.  

"No." Alana challenged. "That is not what I meant."  

"God, you are such a liar." Phe whispered shaking her head.  

"I mean, it's not like you're saying your still with them or anything." Liara spoke, turning her head to face Alana. "Just give them the rundown of everything that went down. Thor is like _bff's_  with all of them right? So, with him being all on your side and junk they'll be fine."  

"I must question your reluctance Phe." Thor spoke up, looking to the green-eyed female. "You and Liara have spoken your opinions on how you wanted the truth to be released, now it can finally happen."  

"I do want the truth told Odin Jr." She explained. "However, I wanted it told ages ago. Now this is just inconvenient."  

"So you want her to keep lying then?" Liara asked. "Just so you can get the D? And a Virgin D at that...woooow, such a thirsty hoe."  

"Stupid." Phe muttered under her breath, not bothering to turn back to face the she-wolf. She rolled her eyes before looking back to Thor. "You don't know Alana like me and tic bag. She will twist information, like I am sure she has done with you on everything."  

"Alana has been nothing but truthful with me." Thor defended.  

"Oh? Has she? So you were there with us when everything went down? Oh, oh, and you knew about her and Loki like a soon as she started the affair right?" She questioned, crossing her arms.  

"This is not the same concept, this is much deeper than Loki, Phe." Alana spoke, her eyes looking at Phe's person. "When I tell them everything I will say every detail as they happened, just like I did with Thor, no more, no less." 

Phe forced her hand in the air and huffed a breath. "Knowing her she will spin it so it makes me and the smelly mutt look bad, and ultimatley make her look like the victim. This is all her fault."  

"Us?" Liara asked with a raised brow. "My hands are clean in this, I just kept my mouth shut."  

"That's a first." Phe called out.  

"I mean not really." Liara noted. "I don't do that, never have. Just because you know the taste of half the male population doesn't mean I do." 

"Hold up,  _My fault_?!" Alana asked, her mind clicking a little later than expected."How was it all my fault?!"  

"Don't you  _even_." Phe warned. "You are the reason we got captured the first time. If you had listened to me we would have been fine"  

Alana straightened herself, releasing her hands to lay flat on her legs as she scoffed in disbelief. "Phe, as much as I'd love to explain how those men were going to die, I won't. But, you do realize all the crap that happened  _afte_ r that right? All the stunts you pulled when you were pretending to be me?"  

"I was fighting for two people, believe it or not, not being at full power and being suck in your bubble you call a brain made control slightly difficult. Hell, it was hard even  _before_ I was released. My thoughts were completely rewired because of your raging restraint issues." Phe opposed. "Your parents knew you would have trouble with control just as I did, it was a given. They figured by sending you out and training, you would learn to pull your own weight, and I could pull mine as I have always done. Boy were they wrong."  

"So, everything is on me all of a sudden?" Alana asked her, voice slightly raising.  

"Wrong again.  What's on you, is what you never learned. No one can teach you how to deal with your troubled mind. You were not prepared for what laid ahead. Which is why I had to go all undercover and do idiotic alliances, becauseI had to figure out a way to not only get us out of our predicament, but figure out a way to separate us, even with a skewed mind set I knew you had to learn on your own what I knew from decades of experience."   

"But Ya know, I'm not surprised you're trying to put all this on me." Phe spoke calmly with a nod, crossing her arms against her chest. "As always you can never take responsibility. As I recall, and  _please_  correct me if I'm wrong, the second time we came back here, we had a clear objective. It was an easy grab and go mission. We had what we needed, but because you got all go-go eyed and sentimental, we had to stay and play hero operation."  

"Oh damn." Liara spoke aloud as she turned to Alana. "Should have let Phe do the work then, grab and go Is her specialty...so I've heard. 

"Then!" Phe spoke up over Liara's outburst, eager to continue. "The  _third time_  we came back, ya know after the stupid dog here found us..."  

"I remember that day fondly." She smiled brightly, taking a second to look at Thor, who watched in silence. "To be fair, I needed their assistance, I would have preferred Alana but unfortunately It was a package deal." 

"We had no reason, none _at all_  to go back in after we helped Liara, but because Scooby dumb told you about her brief encounter with  _you know who-_ we just  _had_  to check in. Right? Right. Well Alana, you had proven time and time again to me, just like right now, that you could not only not control your sickness, but you  _really_  could not control your hormones. _"_ Phe dropped her arms, her emerald eyes staring straight into Alana's silver ones. Determination and authority read on her face as she made her own brave steps forward. 

"Hormones?" Alana questioned with a laugh, pushing herself off the bed "Ahh I see. Hormones, that's what you're gonna call it. You're calling it hormones because you have forgotten what it is like to care about anything but yourself and your own needs. It's not about hormones, it is about the right thing to do, which you tried to prevent."  

"Of course I care about myself, someone has too right? I will care about others when they have earned that right.  I tried to prevent it because You can't even figure out what the right thing is for yourself, much less dictate that for someone else."  

"That's rich coming from you, you dictated what was right for the both of us when you separated from me and went on your merry way and forced me to leave for Asgard!" Alana pushed, her voice shaking. 

Phe tilted her head to the side and sighed. Her mouth twitched into a contemplating frown as she looked to the floor. The brief moment of silence was enough for everyone in the room to be made aware of how much tension had formed the more the women had spoke to each other. It was not a hatred tension, but it was frustration, it was annoyance. Everyone present could feel that there was just too much going on between the both of them. Between the past and the present, they both carried endless amounts of regret that time could not fix fast enough. One could see it clearly, the desperation to move on was a haunting thought because the other, was terrified. Even if she wanted to, how could so much just be forgotten when every decision always seemed to come back and hold her heart hostage.  

Their goal may have been the same, but with such opposing views it was becoming impossible, and one cannot move on without the other. 

"Since you seem to have forgotten, let me remind you. I'm  _not_  Aedria. I don't cater to sad, needy, desperate little children.  I sure as hell was not about jeopardize myself and my well-being because of a lack of self- control on  _your_  part. So yeah, I separated us completely, and I made you go to Asgard, which you should be thanking me for since without that trip you would have no relationship with Thor and his skinny, highly unattractive brother. It is what  _neede_ _d_  to be done. I will always do what's necessary. _Every time_. Why? Because it's my purpose Alana. I was created to do what is absolutely necessary. Just because I spent parts of my life in your head while you had an  _identity crisis_ , which clearly has not changed, doesn't mean I've forgotten who I am. My purpose was set long before you even had the ability to breath. You fight demons I have long since conquered. That, by default, shows why you will  _always_  be beneath me, you insolent  _worm_ _._  You would do good to remember that."   

Alana's glare to Phe was enough to inform every person and every inanimate object in the room, that they should consider themselves lucky. She somehow found her ability to stand as close to Phe as she was without busting her right through her door in front of them, and setting the whole room on fire out of pure anger. She was hurt, upset, confused, scared, this was not making her situation any better. Phe's words had cut her deep, and Phe was well aware what affect it would have on her. Did she care? No. She would not brig herself too. The situation itself was already annoying and unfortunate, but she was not going to spare her feelings because of a late sense of guilt. 

 Phe's kept her face remarkably calm, she held no scowl, eyes gave no glare. Her breathing was even and her body was still. Everyone knew she was upset, but there was no physical reaction to indicate such. The lack of a reaction from the alien only seemed to aggravate Alana further, causing the already heavy tension to bleed out from the walls around them. Thor arose from his seat, quickly taking enough steps to stand beside the two deeply ifuriated women. He extended his arm between them both, silently pushing Phe's arms gently to force her to take a few steps back. Liara, who was now standing as well, made her way next to her fire haired friend. She uttered comforting words in her ear as she pulled her arms from behind, ushering her backwards, back toward her bed.  

Phe broke her eye contact, looking down to the hands gripping her arms, then up to the man attached to them. She smiled, turning to look back down to the now seated Alana, who kept the same unrelenting glare of heated disdain. The she-wolf sat beside her quietly, keeping her arms gripped tight in her hands, as if to keep her from moving.  

"It's funny." Phe spoke, her sarcastic voice returning. "I just realized how right Thor was..... I guess your words always ring in a bit late for everyone blondie. The truth of the matter is, I do want the truth told. I also know that I actually have nothing to worry about.  When you do tell everyone, I'll finally be able to release dozens of secrets  _you_  made me keep silent about. I've never had anything to hide. Once that's done my love, you will truly be the only one left with anything to hide. My cup in all of this will finally be empty, meanwhile you have only drank half of yours, how exciting Is that fact?"  

Phe looked up and to her left, she smiled at Thor who eyed her with confusion. She kept her smile, then tapped her hand against his to gesture for him to let her go. He kept his grip and eyed her reluctantly, but she held they contact with him until it was clear that she held no ill intent. She looked up and down his person and chuckled, shaking her head. She turned away from the trio, carrying herself slowly to the door. She lifted her finger and pressed the small circular button gently, activating the sliding metal doors. With her head held high she exited the room, not bothering to look back. They all watched her strut out Alana's quarters like she had no care in the world.  


	23. Lay out the Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the heated exchange between Phe and Alana, Alana takes time to evaluate the consequences of her actions while speaking with her friend Liara.

"Sooo, yeah. That was really awkward." Liara spoke aloud, her eyes on the floor. 

"Indeed." Thor agreed, his eyes still on the door. "Phe's sudden change of attitude was most.... disturbing." 

"Baby boy, the bitch is bipolar" Liara stated, looking up to the demi god. "Her mood swings are insane, much like her." 

"Which secrets was she referring to that you made her keep?" Thor asked, cautiously looking from the door and down to Alana. He did not know if it was exactly the proper time to ask such a question, but he wanted to know which secret she was referring to, and his curiosity seemed to blind his own rational thinking. 

Alana remained quiet, her face still holding onto her death glare tightly. Her eyes remained glued to the soft, tanned carpeted floor beneath her small, still feet. She analyzed the many different pieces of her clean carpet as she sat in silent contemplation. She ripped herself from her current reality, forcing herself to fall deep inside her being in an attempt to center her raging emotions. In her mind, she was trying desperately to convince herself that she was not truly upset, that she was calm, that everything was fine if she could just take a second to breathe, but every part of her physical being vetoed that idea immediately, furthering her slow growing anger, and unyielding self-hated.

 Her heart twisted and tightened with each forced breath, her teeth pierced into her tongue, possibly making it bleed. Her hands remained tightly clenched in skinny, yet very powerful fists. She could feel her sharp nails digging into her skin relentlessly, most likely causing deep crescent moons into her delicate skin. Each emotion she tried to hide was penetrating through her mental wall without any difficulty, rendering any physical pain she should have been feeling completely mute.

She let out a sigh and small smirk as she silently fantasized about the unspeakable damage she could cause on anything and anyone she looked at if she wanted, but the smirk quickly dropped to a disappointing frown as she mentally cursed herself for having such inappropriate thoughts.  Sometimes, it really did suck having even an ounce of self-control, especially the type of control that was greatly influenced by a crippling guilty complex.  

Phe's words vibrated through her soul like a sad song on repeat.  It was like her brain wanted to block out any attempt she made to cease the piercing sounds that caused her pain. She felt stuck. Her very essence was glued in her own purgatory, doomed to loop for all of eternity.  She needed to get her feelings in control, but the more her mind processed everything, the more misery she felt for herself. It just wasn't fair. Everything she did always turned out to be wrong. Everything was always her fault. If she felt a certain way, she had no right to. There was, without fail, always some logical or idiotic psychological reasoning as to why she was wrong, and a whole essay's worth of reasons on why she could have, and should have made a better decision. 

Alana's point of view was never looked at fairly, if it was ever looked at, at all. She made decisions based off of what she experienced, just like Phe did. She tried basing her feelings on what she learned. She made decisions based on the facts that were laid before her, all the while taking her feelings into account. At least that's what she thought she did. Her mother always told her that no matter what she did, she must remember that she mattered too. She could not abandon who she was, or forget where she came from, less the worlds among the stars would ultimately take advantage of the love and kindness she tried so hard to give.  Yet, here she stands, centuries later, living by the rules she learned and it always seemed to blow up in her face. 

What seemed to make her soul ache further, was that she knew from personal experience and many past mistakes in her lifetime, that everyone, somehow, would always turn out to be right about her and her choices. Phe....as annoying and slightly heartbreaking as it was to admit, was right. She was not right in every aspect of the previous argument that had taken place of course, but she did make many truthful statements that Alana agreed with, whether it was stated directly or not. The ultimate universal truth was that it was indeed highly inconvenient and rude of Alana to want to confess her truth now, especially after weeks of missed opportunities to divulge what she knows and what they did. She had come to that realization herself already. That one gut wrenching thought that had crawled to her troubled brain happened the moment Phe mentioned that she had finally made some progress with Steve. 

_Progress._  Alana Thought to herself. That meant that Phe, the bluntest, straight forward, most closed off woman she knew was taking her time getting to know and trust someone.... On purpose. She put her emotions out in the open with someone of the homosapien species. To Alana it was funny, Phe hated humans not long ago. No, scratch that...she absolutely detested them. She had never been a huge fan of many alien species, but the human race seemed to be the one she despised the most. She said they were inferior, disgusting, worthless, manipulative sacks of excrement that deserved to rot in the ground they polluted just by existing. She thought they were spoiled, she said they run over anyone and anything just to get what they want. She held a strong belief that humans, despite some acts of love among some, would never be worth saving. 

Now, as if by some heavenly miracle, it was like it all of her previous thoughts had changed.  Alana smiled at the thought of how much her counterpart had grown. She had stood before Alana, justifiably infuriated at the fact that she could potentially ruin a relationship that she had  _willingly_  built without any ulterior motive.  Alana noticed that in her absence, Phe had made actual friends, not just with almost half the Avengers, but with other humans, and many different alien species as well. Phe was the one who alerted Alana of hydra's mission, and is now Phe is the one going out of her way to save the very people she deemed pitiful and unworthy. 

 Alana's growing guilt clawed even further through her body the more she processed the severe consequences of her actions. She had not considered the affect her foolish long-term silence would have on Phe or anyone else who was involved. Thor would no doubt be chastised for choosing to keep her secret, knowing it's importance. Liara held her own problems, and holding onto someone else's just because she considered her a friend was not fair to her in the slightest. 

_Wow._   _Just_   _P_ _erfect_ , she thought to herself. Here we have yet another depressing note to add to Alana's ever-growing list of high class, never ending failures. How was she ever supposed to become the woman she is supposed to be, when no matter what she does, no matter what she tries to do for the common good, is never right? How does one try to move on and learn from mistakes, when in situations it seems like the right decision has been made, but it ends up being detrimental to one's self and those around them? How does one live with themselves knowing every step they take, and every breath they breath, will just be another reminder of how worthless, pathetic and undeserving of life they truly are?   

"Think of Bucky shirtless, all those abs you can count and stuff, that will get you out this depressing mind fart you are clearly stuck in." 

"Really not the time for sarcasm Liara, I am really not in the mood." Alana stated, her eyes now closed. 

"You're not but I am." She called out, still sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. "Besides, Thor is gone and the silence is still high with tension, I don't like it so...." 

"What?" Alana asked in confusion. She opened her eyes and held up her head. Looking around the room she confirmed Liara's statement. They had been left alone. "When did he leave?" 

"About ten minutes ago, he said bye to you, though you seemed to love the floor too much to respond." She spoke. "I told him you would make up for ignoring him later, if ya know what I mean." She teased, nudging Alana's shoulder with her own. "He looked at me kinda funny but I knew he agreed deep down. I can read inbetween the lines" 

"God Liara, that is so gross." Alana responded, finally turning her head to her left, now facing the yellow eyed wolf. "He is like a brother to me." 

"And? It's not like yall are blood related, even if you guys were, didn't your mom marry her brother? No, excuse me wait, she  _joined_  with him, isn't that you people call it to make it less gross? It's the same difference to me." 

"I don't look at him in that type of way." Alana rebutted rolling her eyes. 

"Pft, the lies you tell." Liara called out sarcastically. "I was there in the longue when you went and hugged all up on him, don't play. You hugged at that front angle to feel the print, I could see it in your face. You looked so happy." 

"Shut up, Stupid." Alana spoke with a hushed laugh. 

Liara chuckled with her, nodding in Alana's direction and pointing her finger in her face. "Look at that so not innocent smile, and total guilt laugh. See I knew it, I know you. Was it nice? Did it graze your thigh? I love when it grazes the thigh." 

"Anyway." Alana rushed out, holding the syllables longer than necessary. 

"Ahh I see, you wanna keep the good information to yourself? Wow, Selfish much?" 

"You don't even like Thor." Alana conversed. 

"I really don't. But you do, and I'd tell you about Bruces print the minute I felt it." 

"Okay one, I do not like Thor. And two, I would not want to know about Bruces...print." Alana spoke, her face contorting. "He is not my type, and three, ew."

"Right. I forgot, you and bitch bird like pretty boys." Liara noted pushing her lips out. "Which is why I know you like Thor. And um, You did not say ew when you were checking out Bucky that one-time yall bonded over books and grapes."  She challenged, her brow lifting and smirk growing. 

Alana's eyes grew wide and she shook her head frantically. "What the are you talking about? I did not ' _check him out'_." 

"Sure. Okay. Your eyes were looking at the unattractive wrinkles all over his un-ironed polyester that is his jeans then, right?" She asked the Carmel skinned female. "If a man doesn't iron his clothes that's a strike for me." 

"How can I look at his jeans or any part of his lower body, when he was sitting in his chair, which was scooted all the way into the table." 

"Is that sentence grammatically correct? Doubt it." The half Mexican woman spoke. "Who said anything about when he was sitting down? I was referring when he went to get you a second helping of those nasty ass store bought grapes. I should have stood up and told him to switch, maybe then what you were drooling over would have actually been worth looking at. Though by those highly x rated thoughts you were having, I should have just dropped a pen and asked him to pick it up, you  _so_  would have fainted. Those thoughts were so nasty by the way, I was grossed out, but also slightly proud they came from you." 

"None of that happened at all, and I was so not eyeing his...." Alana paused suddenly, the words of her best friend clicking in her head. "Wait a second...you were there that morning?" 

"Yup." She answered popping the p. "The whole time, heard every word from your head to his lips. I was trying to type some stuff but opted to just watch yall try to flirt with each other, it  _was_  cute. You both suck at it though, more him than you it's okay. The Best part was you grinning like child and getting stuck on stupid when he offered to get you more food. I do have a question on that actually, was the smile for him or the food? I know you really dig both." 

"I did not see you." Alana commented. 

"Of course not, your observation skills suck complete ass and you're unbelievably slow for an almighty alien." Liara said with a shrug. "I was sitting in the dark corner all by myself. Anyway, back to my question though-"

"I would have noticed you, how did I miss you?

"Ahh, okay so no answer to my question then? The smile was for him, okay, I gotchu." Liara nodded, taking notice to Alana's deflection of her question. "I totally ship it by the way. If yall have kids I hope they take after you." 

"Liara...."

"Yall need a ship name...Alucky? Nah, yall have  _shit_  luck. Beltora? Eh, No. To star trek if you ask me." She paused, pressing her right finger to her chin in thought as Alana looked at her in disbelief. Suddenly, her mouth opened wide and she snapped her fingers in realization. "I got it, how about....Balana....oh yessss, oh my god, I love it. I adore it.  _Balana_ , I sooo ship the Balana." 

"Liara." Alana groaned. "Seriously?" 

"No? I mean I can ship you with Thor instead, that was the one I liked better anyway. He would show you everything Loki's puny ass couldn't...let's see now, Thalana maybe?" 

"Liara!!" Alana exclaimed for the third time her eyes wide in annoyance. 

"Hm? Was it something I said?" She asked, her face seeming innocent, which made Alana's eyes roll once again. 

"It's a human belief if you do the eye roll thing too much they will get stuck, be careful boo, Bucky may not like it if you end up looking like fury, only with no eyes instead of one." She warned with a coy smirk. Suddenly her eyes widened again. "Oh oh! Bucky and Fury....now  _that_ is a ship, you already know what their ship name is, I know you do. Look at you holding back that eye roll....say it with me now, come on. I know you want to." 

"…..Fucky." Alana spoke in unison with Liara, nodding her head and shaking it simultaneously. 

"That is magic waiting to happen." Liara spoke with a loving sigh. "Nick and his fione chocolate self, with built Bucky? Who is only fine when he is as beefy as he is now by the way, it's the jeans man. Unf."

"Oh? So you're looking at his merchandise now?" Alana asked her tone slightly higher. 

"Relax, mi hermana  **(** **My** **Sister** **.** **)** your jealousy is sooo showing right now, I love it."

"I am not jealous." Alana spoke, her face dropping. 

"I can't tell." 

"I can see that." 

"Nice, meanwhile I can see Bucky walking in those tight jeans." 

"Shut. Up. Liara." 

"Ohhh, fiesty, I love it, say that again." Liara smiled. "In fact, never mind. Save it, use that on Bucky, he looks like the aggressive type...I mean so does Thor, but you all in denial of your love for him for whatever reason." She shrugged in disappointment. 

Alana and Liara exchanged looks before busting out in friendly laughter. Any time they were together, Alana could not help but laugh aloud at her friend's constant foolishness, while Liara could not help but laugh at Alana's seemingly innocent, yet highly sarcastic replies. Alana, when asked to describe her relationship with the wolf, would note without delay that it was one of a kind, while Liara would say it was what It was. They had meet under very unfortunate circumstances, but after helping her escape from Hydra and their cruel experiments, they bonded instantly.

Phe would become highly annoyed being in their presence for extended periods of time. They played off of each other like long lost siblings. They exchanged insults, kept jokes going on for days, and would comfort each other in hostile, yet awkwardly loving ways. Many, including Phe herself, would sometimes question if they harbored a hidden aggression for each other.  It was nothing like that however. They knew each other like a book, through hidden pain, and secret emotional distress, they could not find it in themselves to show soft sympathy unless absolutely necessary. Their friendship was filled with love, but a type of love only they understood, and they liked it that way.

Liara knew Alana's whole life story, and Alana knew hers, well, whatever Liara could remember that had not been wiped by Hydra. Alana offered many times to reach into the wolfs mind and try to bring forward any of her misplaced history and life that she could reach, but each time the wolf would kindly decline. She had never given an explanation why she would decline, any time the silver eyed alien would asked why, it would be answered with a witty remark, followed by a quick change of subject. Out of respect Alana abided by her wishes, and did not pry further. Every once in a while, however, the offer would slip from her lips, with the hope that Lara would eventually change her mind.  

"Thank you." Alana spoke simply, her tone low. Her eyes now focused on the carpet once more. 

"Hm? Was that for me? Or have you finally snapped and are thanking the carpet? Yall were getting so close a minute ago." Liara asked with a slight chuckle. 

"I meant you Liara, so frikin stupid." Alana spoke, turning her head to face her. She hoped Liara knew what she was thanking her for without having to say it, cute moments were not exactly something Alana was experienced or comfortable with. 

"I know. I just wanted to hear you say my name." She smiled brightly. Giving Alana time to sigh in relief knowing she understood her intent "But, you're welcome, you amazingly stubborn bitch."  

"Stubborn huh?" Alana Challenged. "What does that make you?" 

"Well  _you_  being stubborn has nothing to do with me, but it does make you a Taurus." She winked. "You should say you were born in May." 

"I'm sorry, a what?" 

"A Taurus..." Liara reiterated, looking to Alana as she waited for her to catch on, to no avail. "Seriously, you're old as dirt and have been here for like, what, ever? And you don't know the Zodiac signs?" 

"Just because I have been here for a while does not mean I know everything." 

"Aint that the truth." Liara muttered, earning a glare from her friend. "I'll explain later but just keep in mind, you are a Taurus, and I am a Virgo." 

"What significance does any of this hold?" Alana asked, truthfully not understanding a word she was saying." 

"You'll see." Liara explained, earning a singular nod from the alien. 

"You are all up about Bucky and I, which is completely  _nonexistent_  by the way." Alana started. "But uh, you and Bruce seem to be getting cozier." 

"I'm cozy all by myself." Liara corrected. "I'm always hot, internally and emotionally, my blood makes it so." 

"So, Bruce is just a bonus then?" Alana questioned

"I mean he  _can_  be." Liara smirked. "But I'm more interested in the green giant inside him, I feel like the big guy would get me." 

"Dude. Hulk can't even make proper sentences......" 

"Perfect!" Liara clapped in excitement. "I love the ones that shut up, talking is so overrated." 

"Jesus Christ.." Alana whispered, suddenly regretting her previous question.

"Bruhhhh, I'd bet I'd be saying that with him. Whew! A man." Liara joked...possibly.

"How is that....how would he even...you know what, never mind." 

"Good. Thanks, don't ask questions you  _know_  I would happily find an answer to." She winked. Her dimple was now showing clear on her cheek as she smiled at her friend. Alana shook her head and turned away, her attention now on several objects in front of her.

Alana cupped her hands, twiddling her thumbs back and forth. She was going through her mind, trying to figure out how to address what she wanted to ask. "So, are you going to tell me what's up with you now? Or should I just go and ask Bruce." 

"Umm, what exactly are you implying?" Liara asked, raising brow. "Bruce knows about me? I mean I know I'm great, but that's a serious breach of privacy since he never asked me personally." 

"Alright, let's try that again." Alana stated, ignoring the comment. "What's up with the sudden doctor's visits? I have seen you and Bruce go to the lab every other week now, I'd snoop but the glass would just give me away." 

"Okay, okay, you caught me." Liara answered with a defeated sigh. "Bruce just could not resist me, it's super serious. I think it's my body, I look  _amazing_  in sweats. He saw me in them one time and since then we have been getting it on in the lab...don't sit on the rolling stool okay?" 

"You're really annoying." 

"I know right?!" She smiled, despite the glare Alana was currently giving her.

"I just....I worry about you Liara, ya know? I know there is something wrong, I noticed it when you first got here. I know you like your space, but it bothers me to know Something is off and you are not telling me." Alana confessed, her face now expressing her deep concern. 

"That's sweet that your worried about little'ol Liara." Liara noted. "However, Like I said before, I'm just fine. Dr. Jeckyll is testing blood, I'd have my own people do it, but shipping fees are like, suuuper expensive these days.  It's so much cheaper to do it here on base, it was nicks idea. We all know if I'm anything, I'm cheap." 

The middle-aged woman winked at Alana, who quickly realized that was all the information she was going to be able to get from her. Even now, Liara was adamant on doing everything herself, only sharing what she wants, when she wants to. As much as Alana wished that her friend would simply open up and let her help, she knew that her pride, mixed with her own hidden fears made that dream close to impossible, at least for now. As always, the fire-haired female reluctantly respected her best friend's stubborn defiance, and nodded in her direction, indicating she would press the subject no further.  

"So...I have another question." Liara called out, looking to Alana. 

"What's up?" 

"When you and Bucky do the nasty, will it be in his room? If yall do it in here let me know, because I absolutely refuse to come back in here until it is  _completely_ disinfected, top to bottom,. That means you  _and_  the room." 

"Oh for god sake Liara, please. Just. Shut. Up." 


	24. Double Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alana takes some time to workout in the gym to release some pent up energy

It was times like this where Alana was overjoyed she was introduced to human gyms. Had she been informed about the concept of continuous exercise during emotional conflict to ease stressful thoughts much earlier, she would have been indulging herself in the human activity long ago. Then again, knowing how many times she considered herself stressed, she may have ended up more muscular than two super soldiers combined. 

After Liara left Alana's presence, the red-haired alien made the decision to make the rest of the night her own. After a long hot shower, she lotioned up and searched her drawer for her chosen workout clothing and quickly dressed herself. The black t-shirt and black leggings she acquired each had a long blood red stripe stretching down the sides, bringing attention to her very slim figure. That fact, along with how tight the articles of clothing were on her body made her feel slightly uncomfortable, but she forced herself to push pass her own insecurity. During the night the gym was empty anyway, so she would hopefully not have to worry about being seen by unknown eyes, much to her delight.  After she slipped on her white tennis shoes and put her long fire hair in a high ponytail, she gave herself a once over, and headed down to the workout area. 

She entered the gym and overlooked all the equipment, in all her life she had never seen so much material dedicated to building muscle mass in one building. Everything she had done for training had been mostly mental preparation. She had worked on her physical form before, and of course she had seen the typical earth treadmill and punching bag, but this was on a whole other scale. She was unsure of the purpose of many of the complicated pieces of machinery at her disposal, but she was sure that there had to be something to train almost every known human body part possible. It was so fascinating, and if she as honest with herself, also a bit intimidating. 

Keeping her own intrigue, she slowly made her way to the long black punching bag that rested in the far-right corner of the room while eyeing the many different machines that she passed along the way. Once she reached the long bag of sand, her gaze focused on it. The bag had clearly seen better days, judging by the black duct tape that wrapped around the top just below the chain that held it in place. She chuckled to herself, making a sad mental note that she felt she had a lot in common with the inanimate object, as weird as that sounded.

She got into position and lifted her small hands to shield her head, she would not hit it as hard as she wanted to, otherwise she would inevitably break it. When Phe was no longer hating her very existence, she would have to ask her to help her fashion better bags for the base, so none of them would break at their touch. It could be something they can do together.  If Phe ever stopped being mad at her of course. 

She shook the thought away and took a swing, the feeling of the bag moving backwards giving her, her own sense of pride. She swung again, this time just a bit harder. Again and Again her fists collided with the object, with each sing she let her mind fly free. With each hit she was truly beginning to see the appeal of this exercise. It was as if she as hitting her own pain. The continuous feeling of hopelessness and inadequacy that flooded her mind day in and day out were the small pieces of sand she felt hit her fist every time it came back toward her. The tight leather fabric was what held the many pieces of her she wish she could change, that she wishes she could fix. The clanking of the chain that resonated in her ear each time her knuckles pressed hard into the bag were the sounds of her thoughts tormenting her, overtaking her mind with constant reminders of her of her many failures, right here in the gym, again in her sleep, all the while completely stopping her from moving forward in her reality. 

Alana could feel the angry themed sadness that grew within her the more she let go. She could see everything. As if she was living everything all over again. The pace of her punches escalated, forcing the bag further away, and back faster toward her person. The wars, her time spent traveling across the galaxy to train, her first visit to earth, the torture, her time in Asguard. Even coming back to earth played back in her mind. Everything over the course of her life was all resting on her shoulders and she could feel herself getting lost in her thoughts as she let go of everything she felt. Was she the real problem? Had every wrong thing that transpired from her creation till now be a direct result of her own existence? 

 A loud grunt let her mouth as she hit the bag again, the thoughts of the previous fight with Phe, after her decision was made public was now coming back to her once again. Her mind picked apart Phe's words and her own actions like clockwork, each hitting her core harder than before. 

Suddenly the anger that had been rising in her chest now morphed into irrational fear, causing her to frantically hit the bag as her heart beat faster and faster.  How as she even supposed to go about this situation? It was already out of place for Phe to be this furious with her. She had never been hated before. No one had ever been mad at her for something she herself did, and now that someone was, it was hurting her. She could only imagine would it would be like when everyone hated her. She had never been in a situation where she would be jeopardizing the trust of people she respected. It was a foreign, and very unwelcoming feeling. 

 She felt so overwhelmed. The endless anger, the crippling agony, the anchoring sadness. It seemed like her life as meant to be filled with just pain.  That was, until she had met the team. The tiny bursts of happiness she felt whenever she as around them made her feel at ease, it made her feel safe, it made her feel like she belonged. Even Phe was changing, whether she admitted it publicly or not. Before she met the team, Alana had always went back to feeling alone, out-casted and undesirable. For so long her soul had been floating in an endless sea of questions and regrets, longing to find an island of answers and peace. Alana lived her life searching for her purpose, and for the very first time, it was starting to feel like she had one.  The thought of retracting back to where she used to be, the thought of being the reason Phe could end up in that same position, even after all she had been through, was becoming too much for her to handle. She could feel a twinge of rage curl in her stomach, her chest felt heavy, her mind was becoming utterly lost in her now uncontrollable emotions. 

She could feel her eyes glossing over, the flames of her own disgust growing in her pupils. Her Auroa engulfed her hands as she threw one last punch at the bag, and she watched as the leather disintegrated, the small bits of sand exploded and flew in every direction flooding the floor beneath her feet. 

The rage was still building, but she closed her eyes and took an uneven breath, using all her strength to calm herself and her pounding heart. She dropped her hands to her sides as the flames engulfing her hands dispersed. She let go of the tight fist she had been holding and twiddled her fingers against her sides, doing anything she could to feel like she had regained control. 

"You have no idea how many of those I have shattered." A voice called out, forcing her now silver eyes open in freight. 

She turned her body around quickly, her breathing uneven as she took in the form of the super soldier, who stood at the door of the room, his arm resting on the side of the door. 

"How long have you been standing there?" She called out, her breathing still heavy. She found herself anxious to know how much he saw. Why? Once again, she was unsure. 

"Long enough." Bucky called out, pushing his body off the door and walking into the room. She could feel her body becoming uncomfortable as he approached her. His walk was slow, seemingly cautious as he looked to floor and eyed the tiny bits of sand crunching beneath his feet. 

She watched him take his last steps toward her in silence. Her shoulders remained tense and slightly raised, but her eyes could not help but look over his chosen attire. He wore a tight wife beater, no sleeve present on either side. His pants were black, much like her own, minus the red stripe. The fabric clung to his legs tightly, giving her a view of every curvature that his bottom half presented. She rolled her shoulders and rolled her neck when she felt an unknown sensation curl in the pit of her stomach, she quickly assumed it was from her previous emotional outburst, but confusion quickly overtook her as she felt no anger. It was more so, a lively feeling, a sort of animated aching she just could not place. 

She watched him stop just in front of her as his head turned in various directions. His eyes surveyed the floor, taking in the damage of her fists made of the bag before they met hers. She could see the concern he held for her in his blue eyes, but she could not hold his gaze long enough to read anymore. She looked away from him and toward the door, then sighed deeply and held her head to the floor in defeat. 

"Something you want to share?" He asked her, his voice soft, yet hinting at his worry. 

"It's nothing." She breathed out, her head still lowered. 

"The bag begs to differ." He rebutted. "Even your hands were a tell sign." 

She could not help but chuckle at his statement. Her hands found her hips and her head lifted toward the ceiling as her eyes closed.  "You saw that too huh?" 

"Yeah." He answered simply. 

Alana sighed once again, lowering her head she took a chance and opened her eyes again, meeting the same concerned blue eyes, as if she never left them. "I just uh, have a lot going on right now. I figured doing some of this human exercise could take a load off." 

"What happened?" He asked her, his brows coming together in curiosity. "If... you want to share of course." 

Alana took a breath, even after all the time around such graceful people, she was not accustomed to anyone willingly caring about her emotional wellbeing. Phe had no choice but to know, she was bound to her, she felt most of what she did by default. There was also the fact Alana was just not good with understanding her own emotions, she could not see why she felt a certain way, or if it as even acceptable if she did. She as just not built like that, never was, at least to herself. With that fact being known, saying what she was feeling to her was always extremely difficult, if not impossible. 

"Well uh," She started, her breathing finally becoming even. "Phe and I had a bit of a fight." 

"A bit?" He asked, his voice a tell sign he did not believe her. 

"Okay, we had a big fight. To the point she is not speaking to me." 

"About?" He asked, urging her to continue. 

She paused, taking into account she could not tell him the truth of the argument between her and her counterpart. Even if she wanted to. "Honestly, it was a little bit of everything." 

"Ah." He nodded. She could see he could sense her hesitation and would not press the situation further, much to her relief. 

"Yeah, like I said, I figured I would try this human exercise to take a load off." She spoke. "Steve recommended it to me a while ago, I figured tonight was a good night to do it." 

"Well, did destroying the bag help?" He asked with a small smile, clearly trying to lighten the mood. 

She smirked, turning to look at the bag, which as now nothing more than a hanging chain. She turned back to him smirking before she responded. "A little if I am to be honest, though next time I know to just stick to the treadmill." 

He huffed. "All this technology to use and you only go for the treadmill?" 

"Uh, yeah?" She spoke in more of a question. "I don't even know what half this other stuff is, I have never seen it before, besides, legs are a vital part of the body."

"What about arms?" He asked crossing his own over his chest. 

"Yeah, sure that's important too I guess, I mean, clearly more so to you than me." She commented her eyes looking down to his muscular arms. She quickly realized her words and bit her lip as she looked up to him. He tilted his head to the right slightly, a smirk growing on his face as his eyes gave her body a once over.  The chuckle that escaped his lips caused a heat to rise to her face and she looked away from him once again, this time out of embarrassment. Where in the world did that thought come from?

She cleared her throat, trying to think of anything to change the subject when a sudden thought came to her as she looked at him again, her own look of curiosity now written on her face. "Wait, what were you doing coming down here anyway?"

He put his head upright, looking over to the left side of the room. "Sometimes I come to work out late at night, it helps me think, so to speak." 

"Oh." She answered. 

"Yeah, plus not many people come down here at night, giving me my own feeling of freedom. I have never been much for crowds." 

"I feel it." She agreed. "I mean, some people are nice, being around others can be comforting, but there is something about the atmosphere. To me, it feels too rushed, to confusing. I feel like I am on everyone else's time instead of my own." 

Alana paused, feeling herself starting to babble too much, until Bucky smiled at her and nodded. "Exactly. Not many people get that. I tried explaining it to Steve, but he is _always_  around people, so I don't think he gets it." 

"Tell me about it." Alana exclaimed. "Phe has been a people person from the get go, even if she hates them. That and she really does not care about much anyway so, feeling uncomfortable is pretty much impossible for her, even connected she just doesn't get me." 

"Well, seeing as we clearly feel the same way, we can get each other." He spoke, his smile still alive and well.

Alana's brow raised and a small smile played on her lips. The way his voice sounded as he spoke those words intrigued her. It seemed almost....suggestive? Liara told her about this before, something about double meanings and hidden agendas. Whatever it was he actually meant she would have to figure out later, but she could feel the same lively feeling in her stomach, a feeling that if she was honest with herself, had never actually left, and oddly the feeling continued to grow, the longer the conversation continued. 

Suddenly she felt a sudden boldness wash over her. She crossed her own arms, mocking his stance as she spoke to him. "I mean, can you actually get me though?" 

His brow raised and he straightened his body. "Is that a challenge,  _Mrs. Deltora_?" 

She straightened her stance and smiled, tilting her head to her left side which made her ponytail fall and sway in the open air. "I do believe it is, Mr.  _Barnes_. Thought I warn you, I'm pretty hard to get." 

He hummed in response, his eyes never leaving hers as if looking for some sort of confirmation. She observed that he felt he had been staring at her a bit to long when he cleared his throat and looked to the floor as he uncrossed his arms. "We should uh, probably clean this up, I'll grab a broom-" 

"No need." She called out suddenly turning her body to her side. She turned her head away from him and toward the direction of the now disintegrated punching bag. She overlooked the floor, then reached her hand outward in front of her. She waved her hand in the air, causing all sand on the floor around the both of them to rise up in what looked and felt like slow motion. She closed her fist, and the sand rushed to where the punching bag had once stood, it circled in place continuously and at a fast pace, suddenly, black leather formed from thin air, growing around the collected sand. 

Bucky watched in awe as the leather punching bag was now back in place, as if it had never been destroyed at all. Alana lowered her hand and smiled, turning back to face Bucky with pride. "I took the liberty of reinforcing the leather on this one." Her thumb gestured behind her as she continued. "Now we both can punch ot really hard and it won't break, you're welcome." 

Bucky Chuckled and nodded. "Well thank you, Steve will be delighted too, he has broken almost as many of these things as I have." 

"Almost?" She asked. 

He shrugged. "I have him beat by four or five bags." 

"Oh, I'm sure." She nodded as a laugh escaped her lips. "Look, since I have some more time to waste, and seeing as you are already here and are appalled that I don't know how to use these machines, how about you help me learn how to use them?" 

He looked around at the plethora of equipment around them, then looked back to her and shrugged. "Sure, but there  _is_  a lot of equipment, which means a-lot to learn. I'm talking safety procedures, good work out routines, all the works. So unfortunately, if you really want to learn  _everything_ , we will have to make this training session a more than one-night thing." 

Without any sign of hesitation, Alana smiled brightly at him, the feeling of another double meaning playing in the back of her mind as she nodded. "I think I can do that." 


	25. Late Night Sessions, Early morning Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liara helps Alana sort through her new found emotions for a certain Super soldier

 Bucky had taken the liberty of showing her how to properly lift weights without pulling something important. He joked with her that in time she could possibly gain her own muscle if she worked hard enough. Taking it slightly personal, she cockily shut him down as she took a weight much higher than his own and reminded him that her arm size is basically, an illusion.  After trying to one up each other for what seemed like hours, Bucky and Alana parted ways, but not before making plans to meet up for their next session. 

Alana quietly made her way back to her quarters. She assumed her workout high was still very much alive, as she felt a very odd giddiness taking over body. She noticed she had a...What was the term again, ah yes, she had a nice pep in her step. Her smile was as bright as ever, and her thoughts were clear of everything, except her time with Bucky. 

" _I do not have a crush,_  she says" She heard in her head, causing her to slightly pause before rolling her eyes and continuing to walk at the fact she was being mocked. 

" _I do believe it_ _issss_ _Mr. Barnes._ " The voice continued.  _"I'll give you your props though, y_ _ou're getting better at flirting. I mean, you still suck at it but, it's a process."_

" _You_ _know what, you are so right you do not have a crush, you are full on_ _lovin_ _on this dude._ " The voice spoke again. " _Or perhaps it's lust? You still have his tight_ _workout_ _outfit all up in your head. Did you_ _like_ _the print? I know you liked the print._ _Daw_ _,_ _my little Alana is growing up._ "  

Alana stopped at her door and groaned in annoyance. " _Oh my god_ _, shut up_ _Liara_." She spoke in her head before pushing the button to activate the sliding doors that would let her into her quarters. 

She walked one step into her quarters and paused, her mouth becoming agape as she eyed her friend, who was sitting in the middle of the bed, her legs crossed Indian style. "I have to say, despite the fact he ain't all that, he is a  _huge_  upgrade from ugly god. I mean, I think you'd look better with buffed up Odin but hey, to each his own." 

"How did you even get in here?" She asked, walking forward to allow her doors to close as she took her hair out of her high ponytail. 

"I walked in." Yellow eyes answered with a shrug. 

"Not what I meant." Alana replied, her hands going on her hips. 

"It's what you asked." 

"I mean-" Alana started, holding the last letter in slight annoyance. "How did you get in here without my print." 

"Uh, I hacked it, duh." Liara called, almost offended Alana had to ask. "This is literally level one security in this place, a bug could get in here, bug meaning Phe, anyway, speaking of print...." 

"Do not start with me woman." Alana warned, bringing a finger to point in the she-wolfs direction. "What are you even doing in here? And for the billionth time there is-" 

"Nothing going on between you and the cripple." Liara finished with a roll of the eyes. "By the way it is actually a billion and one, I counted. Now that we are done with the lying-" 

"I am not lying!" Alana exclaimed. 

"Bitch I can't tell, you were practically wetting those tight pants you have on, nice choice by the way, reel him in with the booty." She winked. 

"Oh my god." Alana breathed out, walking toward her bed to get to her dresser. 

"I'm just saying, when y'all do the deed, use. The. Arm. If you don't, I'm defriending you on the basis of a wasted opportunity." 

Alana took out her red sleep shirt and pants. She turned to glare at Liara as she threw the clothing on the bed next to her. 

"Do you actually wear any other color? I mean I know you like red but damn this is overkill."  Liara chuckled as she lifted the silk shirt off the cover and into the air. 

"Why must you torment me?" 

"It adds years to my life." She answered, turning the shirt in the air before shrugging and placing it back on the bed. "Oh oh, wear this on your next get together with the cripple, since y'all  _will_  be meeting again. He will droll over this, not that he isn't drooling already." 

"First of all, you do not wear pajamas to work out Liara. Secondly, Bucky and I are not going to do this so-called deed, and third, shut up." 

"So, you are telling me, you don't want to tap it?" 

Alana scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Tap it? Why would I tap it, what am I tapping?" 

Liara looked at Alana in disbelief. "Dear lord, did ugly god teach you nothing? Tap it, as in take it in ya holes, play hide the zucchini, I learned that one from stark." 

Alana looked at Liara, the confusion still evident in her face, making Liara groan in disappointment. "Bitch, sex! Ya know, the deed, what I have been talking about since you walked in here smelling gross as fuck." 

"I just worked out Liara, I am not gonna smell like roses." 

"Nah nah nah." She started shaking her head. "You don't sweat babe, so you can give Satan that lie back right now, I am talking about the fact you  _reek_  of arousal." 

"Excuse me?!" Alana called out, her eyes wide. 

"Yeah, so I would shower before putting on all this silk, that stuff stains the hell out the material." 

"Okay first of all," Alana started, feeling slightly flustered at her accusation. "Being.... _aroused_ , is not something I feel, that is a  _human_  experience, and a Phe experience.  My people feel no such things." 

Liara pushed her lips out and nodded. Her eyebrows were high as she looked up to her friend. "See here is the thing, remember that time you asked me to provide you with the  _amazing_  ability to feel human emotions to better experience our lifestyle and everyday life?" 

Alanas eyes grew wider at Liara's words, she had completely forgotten about the merge of emotion Liara let her do all those years ago to better understand humanity. 

"Welp." Liara spoke, popping the p as she held her arms out wide. "This is one of them, welcome to adulthood baby girl. Wow, I could cry at your growth." She sniffled, pretending to wipe away a tear as she continued.  "You're finally a woman." 

"Shut the hell up." Alana conversated with a glare. "I am not saying I was...aroused, but even if I was, I exchanged emotions with you long before Loki, and I do not remember having such feelings so-"

"Well oh aroused one." Liara begin with another small chuckle. "You got Loki right away boo boo. I mean you gave, and he took from day one, then it ended. See with the old cripple you have to actually put in work, and are actually developing  _feeeeeelings_ , gross I know, and so not up your ally." Liara pushed her arms into the mattress and turned her body to fully face Alana, her signature crooked smile rested proudly on her face as she continued to explain. "That weird little tingle tingle in your stomach, ya know the one you got when you saw that outfit when he walked in, and don't deny it, I saw you bit ya lip when you looked at him. Nasty hoe-" 

"What the hell?!" Alana pressed, her eyes wide once more. "You were watching me?"

"Like a hawk." She admitted, clearly not caring Alana was offended. "To be fair, I was on my way to my room for some quiet Liara time, when I noticed you going ham in the gym. I was going to go in and say hi until I saw Bucky walk up all slow and practically eye fuck you as you were hitting the hell out the punching bag...you were not thinking of my face then were you? Cuz damn girl, you wailed on that thing." 

"He was watching me for that long?" Alana asked her voice becoming soft. 

"Awe, I love how soft your voice got just now, cute." She spoke with a smile. "But yeah, anyway, as he was eye fuckin you, you broke the fuck out the bag. I knew right when you turned around all huffy and puffy that it was gonna get saucy, my only regret is I had no popcorn." 

"You get a thrill out of watching this don't you?" Alana asked her sarcastically as she brought her body down slowly on the edge of the bed, a small sigh escaping her lips. Her eyes never left Liara's as she awaited her response. 

"I get a thrill from _you_  sure, him not so much. I told you I'd teach you a thing or to when you stopped acting all scared. I wanted to be your first time, but you let Loki in before me. Rude ass bitch." She spoke, her lips going to the right side of her face as she head turned to head left to face her friend.  "Now what was I saying before your stupid behind interrupted me? Oh, right yeah, I would have left from stalking you after you got all wet wet since I was utterly disgusted by you and your choice of men, but then Bucky asked what was wrong with you. I  _of course already knew,_  I am pretty smart that way, but the suspense to know if you were actually going to tell him the truth was simply overwhelming. After you chickened out I watched the rest out of boredom." 

Alana took in Liara's fast spoken confession with ease, knowing her for as long as she did everything the half Mexican woman said or did was practically a second nature to her. With Liara finishing her thought, the silver-eyed female looked away from her friend and sighed. "I was going to do it you know, tell him everything first." 

"I know. I could see the battle in your head, then you chickened out so-" 

"I didn't chicken out." Alana spoke, her head shooting back to look at Liara as her tone rose. She paused, calming herself before look at her bed sheets. "I just-, He....he can't know first, it would not be right." 

"I fail to see how or why, but I never understood your thought process so I'll just say okay and be done with it." Liara commented. 

"When I was hitting the bag, I saw everything all over again.  _Everything_." Alana confessed, looking at her friend intensely. "Then, I saw all of us, you,Thor, Phe and I, everything that went down-"  

"I'd hit the bag harder too if I saw Phe's face, so, I completely understand." Liara spoke, to which Alana glared. "Sorry, please continue." 

"Anyway, I was going to let it all out right then, but it was like I could hear everything she said to me." The fire-haired woman continued. "I just like...I don't know Liara, it all seriously hit me at once. She is acting like she doesn't care anymore, but I know she does, I know her, and I could see it." 

"You mean she cares for Ghetto booty and his reaction to the big news." Liara corrected with a raised brow. 

"Yes." Alana spoke, annoyance in her voice. "You know her history by heart by now, I have told you hundreds of times-"

"Not that I cared for her background but yes." 

"And you know how long she and I have been bonded together, and I am  _t_ _elling_ you, the way she acts around him, I have never seen her act that way. Ever. Literally ever. And, over the years I have seen and her acquire a very diverse list of......quote unquote, partners," She intertwined her fingers and rested them on her lap. "I also see the way Steve looks at her, though I'm sure he doesn't see it himself yet. This.... _thing_  going on with them, whatever it is, has only happened with one other person that I know of, and that was  _long_  before my time." 

"So, she is crushing on a man like you, what's the big whoop?" She asked.

"Look, the bottom line is, Phe has been through a lot, and she has sacrificed a hell of a lot more than most. That being said, her trust is not easily earned, at least not anymore. She doesn't open up to people, hell, she doesn't even like people or humans all like that. Now, It's, like she has done a complete 180-" 

"360." Liara corrected. 

"What?" 

"The saying, it's she did a complete 360, since that is a full circle, 180 is only half." 

Alana eyed Liara, her face blank of emotion. Liara blinked and rolled her eyes. "You don't like math anyway, so I'm not about to bother explaining it, anyway, Phe changed drastically since you met her asshole self,' Liara spoke, getting back to the conversation. 

"What I am saying is, deep down, I knew telling Bucky without addressing it with everyone would not be fair." Alana explained. "I am not the only one going affected by this, she is too, I have no idea how everyone is going to react, but if I had just told Bucky hat happened-"

"He would only see your side and not hers." Liara finished. Alana gave a weak smile to her friend, confirming her friend's words. "You want everyone to see it from both your views." 

"The only who knows me, how I feel, and my ways better than you, is her.  I see things that may or may not be one hundred percent accurate, and I am sure I see our shared past a lot differently than she does. Who knows? Maybe she is right and I would say something that isn't true. If I paint the wrong picture about her then they could see her as something she isn't." Alana sighed deeply and closed her eyes, forcing herself to continue through the uncomfortable feeling that kept jerking her heart back and forth. "Anything I would have confessed to Bucky would of course be told to Steve, and Steve, despite his good nature, could possibly see her differently than he does now, and I can't....I just....I can't do that to her. She's come so far, what kind of person would I be to ruin that? I have ruined enough already." 

Liara gave a sympathetic smile toward her friend. She was fully aware that Alana was not used to dealing with so many emotions, she was also not used to sharing them. Liara herself found it a blessing and was quite honored anytime Alana would confess anything she felt to her. Seeing her long time able to formulate words to describe the internal conflict she knew her friend battled every day was, to her, secretly inspiring. The yellow eyed wolf knew her like a book, she could read her thoughts without poking in her head, she ne her feelings without even blinking an eye.  Her own personal experience gave her enough knowledge to know that despite her strong front she gives the rest of the world, her friend was truly not okay. 

"Well, judging by the Oscar-winning speech you just gave me, I'd say that it would make you a total evil bitch if you were to do that, and that title belongs to bitch bird, not you, fire eyes." Yellow eyes spoke, a stern but sarcastic look on her face.  "You can be a good person sometimes. I do uh, have one question though." 

"Dear god, what?" Alana asked, her face showing she as preparing for the worst. 

"So like....how, and please, do me a favor and please  _think_  before you answer this, how do you know that Steve and the whore are getting all cozy, but you are blind as fuck, and I really mean  _as fuck_ , about you and Bucky... I mean like, yall are so a thing. I personally don't get his hype, the arm is his best feature, but you do, and he clearly digs you hella, so I say the Balana has shipped and sailed around the world in eighty days." 

Alana rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You know what, fine. I'll humor your utterly annoying ass. Let's say,  _hypothetically_  of course,  _G_ _od_  I can't stress that enough, that a  _thing,_  was indeed forming between Bucky and I. Now, after the truth is out, why the actual hell would he want anything to do with me? At any rate, why would someone like him like someone like me?" 

"Someone like hi-, bitch, are you  _fucking_ high?" Liara asked, her tone harsh, and her voice raising. "We are talking about the same dude who quite _literally_ , killed dozens of people on purpose right? The same dude who was not only employed by bitch ass hydra, but was their top dude for like what? Eighty, ninety years? The man is old as dirt like you so I'm just estimating here. The same dude who's mistakes ride higher than Phe's fuck count? Which we both know is sky high so don't play." She warned her, her eyes glaring at her foolish friend. " _Adios,_ _vete_ _a la_ _mierda_." ( **Girl bye, fuck you**.) 

"To be fair." Alana defended. "He was not in control of his mind." 

"If I recall correctly, most of everything that happened back then, was because you and the slut were not either. Either way, he can't judge shit about anybody, and if he decides to, I won't hesitate to let him know about himself, I don't care how much you wanna fuck, I'm hurting feelings." She declared, no hint of a lie in her voice. 

"Oh my fuc-, Liara. I do not want to-"

"Want tooo? What? Come on you can finish it, fuck. Him. Say it with me now" She joked. "And ya do, but go ahead and keep lying, your leaky vagina says enough. Nasty ass, but I can agree yall odnt just screw. Since ya both got it hella bad for each other, we gotta go deeper, take that how you will btw. Since your all sad and what not, I'll be generous and change it make loooove." 

"Gross." Alana said, her face showing disgust. 

"You won't be saying that during, and I know You did not say that to Loki or Thor but okay." She shrugged. "But hey better you than me." 

"Oh please, Bruce come at you with the let's tap and you would not hesitate." 

"I really won't." She agreed with a wink. "I'd hit that 25/7, seriously have you seen him? Ohhh my god. Even if he said something stupid like 'let's tap' I'd give, but, to be honest, we would not be tapping, he would be allllll up in this, exploring the precious depths of-" 

"Shut. Up. For god sake." Alana begged. 

" _Perra_ , don't start hat you can't finish, I was enjoying the image." She complained. **(Bitch)**

"It's nice to see you this invested in a man for a change." Alana smiled. 

Liara scoffed and placed a hand on her chest in fake hurt. "Are you implying I don't invest myself in endless amounts of men that I know I can have?!" 

"Yes." Alana confirmed. 

"Ha, I really don’t though. Play em all like a fiddle, I know what I got and know how all men think. I know you don't but you'll learn eventually....hopefully. Bruce is fione on the eyes and all over, but I can tell he a'int the type to go for body. He goes for the mind and personality" 

"Which you have." Alana played. 

"Duh, I know I have them both, have you met me? I'm fucking fantastic. He however, could handle my mind, but not my personality, he is a weak boy." 

"Toughen him up then, you like a challenge and clearly him." Alana baited. "Don't be a bitch, prove Phe wrong, unless you like the nickname." 

"Only in the bedroom baby doll." Liara corrected. "I know you are baiting me you stuck up whore." 

"I know you do, I also know your personality and undying need to accept bets placed in front of you will make you go for it." 

"Wow." Liara spoke softly. "And we literally  _just_  had a moment. I'm so disappointed." 

"You'll be okay." Alana shrugged. 

"You know what Fuck you, I'm leaving." Liara huffed, throwing her feet from her position and over the bed to stand herself up. She glared down to Alana and raised her middle finger in her direction. "I hope Bucky wears sweaters the rest of his life." 

"Okay." 

"Then again, you'd probably think that's hot." Liara noted, shaking her head and walking toward the door. "You should get some sleep, now that you are going to have these  _nightly_  sessions with Bucky now, the day time is gonna have be your rest hour, mostly for your girl...wait what do you call it again? Your precious temple?" 

"I don't need sleep Liara, you know that." Alana spoke to the back of Liara's head, now happily snuggled into her Pj's. 

"We all know you want to dream of Bucky so, you're going to." Liara spoke as she pushed the button and waited for the doors to open for her. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Liara." Alana called, a smile on her face. 

Liara turned to face her friend, giving her the signature smile followed by a wink. "Later today, it's morning genius." 

The she-wolf exited the room and started down the left hallway to her own. She was still worried, whatever was going on with Alana was much deeper than the secret she was apart of. Liara realized then and there that Phe was unfortunately right that Alana was hiding more than she let on. That had been the reason she had went to her in the first place. She wanted to see if Alana would at least let her in on something, anything that could give her a hint as to what was truly eating at her. But she didn't, and to Liara, this was most troubling.

 So, she did what she could from afar. As always. She spoke with Alana, holding on to the hope that the conversation she shared with her friend resonated enough to at least start something to help the troubled alien find the right path she knows Alana was searching for. To help build the path Liara knows she needed. Whether it be pushing her to see the truth growing with the old crippled soldier known as Bucky, or secretly helping her realize that whatever she was going through, she did not have to do it alone. All she could now, was something she wished she didn't have to do, and that, was wait. 


	26. A Solid Request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liara begins to lean more about Bruce, while Bruce learns more about Liara

Silence. It was the perfect sound, yet not a sound at all. The blissful feeling of hearing nothing, feeling nothing, hell, even seeing nothing, was the type of relaxation the secretive wolf thrived on. For it was a rare occurrence that she was not being bothered by desperate government officials, enemies from her hidden, yet troubled past, or even by her own mind. The mind that was her own, and yet, was shared with another, far more dangerous being. Every time Alana had accompanied Liara on missions back in the day, everyone would ask if their 'inside beings' were of the same making. And every time, Liara would simple laugh and say 'oh how I wish.' 

Of course, following her sarcastic remark, Liara would always have to assure her annoying overly sensitive friend that she did not feel insulted by their question, and that it was not a jab toward her in the least, it was simply the truth, and the truth something Liara was never afraid to tell. 

Sure, the woman had her secrets but then again, so did everyone. At any rate, she never lied about having secrets, she also never lied if anyone asked for information. It was a simple ' It is my business, and I will share if and when I feel like it. Alana told her very closed off, yet very colorful and outgoing personality of a friend, that she was much like the one woman she despised most. Much like Phe, she was a genius introvert, with extrovert qualities. 

She wanted to feel insulted at the comparison, but she could not ignore the fact that it made sense. She could talk to anyone and know their life story in minutes without giving a lick of information about herself. She could out smart and out think the best men, women, and in many cases computers with anything dealing in the arts of technology, math and some sciences. She was honest, brutally so most of the time, which was another commonalty between her and Phe according to Alana. 

Another perk of being the way she ways, was that talking to people was never an issue, well, for her anyway. Liara was sure about everything that concerned herself and those around her. She would always know what she was talking about, and how things were meant to be. Every now and again, there could be times when she would sit alone and wonder if she had always been the way she was now, in the before. The before life before Hydra. She would try and shake off her curiosity, telling herself that such idle fancies and questions would only lead to more disappointment. She would tell herself that it had to be this way, that she had to let go of such thoughts, or risk feeling the dreaded notion of losing control. After the losing almost all of her memories during Hydra's endless experiment's long ago, the feeling of uncertainty, instability, and lack of control was absolutely forbidden. Call it a personal rule if you will. If she moved somewhere new, she would know the towns entire history and all who resided in it by the end of the night. If she met someone new, she would know their entire background and personality down to their third-grade test scores and daily horoscope, and that was before she even thought of stepping one foot in a room with them. Everything in her life had order, and all who truly knew her, understood and respected her ways. 

The yellow-eyed female carried herself down the semi busy hall here her quarters laid, to reach the elevator that would lead down to the fifth floor, where the med and science lab resided. Today, was yet another one of her requested treatments with Dr. Banner, also known as Bruce, or, if he was pissed enough, the Hulk. To the woman however, in normal form he would simply be called Dr. Jeckyll, if was pissed, it was Mr Hyde, no more, no less.  It was a fitting nickname if she had anything to say about it, though she knew Bruce was not very fond of it. Not that she cared for his opinion.

She could sometimes overhear the childish gossip the many residents of the base would indulge in amongst themselves. Jeckyll was apparently one of the most feared person on base, that was until Phe and Alana made themselves known. The considered him a ticking time bomb, which was weird for Liara to accept, seeing as he was always so calm literally all the time, not to mention he spoke like each word that escaped his lips were made of breakable glass. It was curious, to everyone else, he was bipolar and dangerous. To most, he was the man that needed to be watched, less the bas risks a certain doom. But, from what she saw, the man was reserved. He was closed off, and so afraid of himself he did everything humanly possible to prevent the very things everyone belittled him for. What was it about him that could possibly give people such horrid idea about such a soft, broken human being? 

Her personal thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the elevator, indicating she was now at her desired destination. She cleared her throat and fixed her specially designed earpieces, before exiting the elevator and going to meet her so called  _dangerous_  associate. 

"What's up Jeckyll, I'm here for another round of you sticking it in me, I think I'm addicted." She called out to the body sitting sideways in the chair toward the back of the room as she entered the science lab. 

"Hello Liara." He called out, unbothered by her comment. "Just a moment." 

"Sure, Sure. If I am known for anything, it is my patience." She nodded, sticking her hands inside the pockets of her nicely fit, purple zip up jacket. 

She carried herself over to stand in front of his person and waited for him to wrap up whatever it is he as currently doing. 

She hummed to herself mentally as she took in the form sitting before her. The comments she made continuously to Alana and Phe, and sometimes fury to get a rise out of him, about Bruce being extremely attractive to her was truthfully one of the truest statements she had ever spoken, sarcastic or not. 

His skin was a delicate tan color, which made sense as he was part Italian, which was a bonus for her as she was always found of Italians anyway. His eyes were a gentle brown, which greatly fit his personality. His face held a slight stubble along his jaw but became very defined when you eyed above his lip and chin. The hairs where a strong black and white color, reminding her of salt and pepper. The colors matched his very silky, yet curly hair, which was full at the top, and properly cut to not be as wild once you reached the spot just below the forehead and above the ears.  If you really, truly paid attention, you could see that above his ear, the salt of his hair almost completely over shadowed the pepper. It was like his body was aware of the steps needed to make him look absolute perfect for his age.  With some good o'l fashioned grease, he could slick his hair back, giving him the type of look any woman with her type of taste would swoon over in a heartbeat. He would look even more exquisite than he already did.

 His clothes were simple, much like her own. She was aware neither of them were the flashy dresser type, they were more into being comfortable. Their closets consisted of clothing that was classy enough to look good, but plain enough to not catch too much unwanted attention. He wore dark blue jeans, not to tight, but not exactly baggy. He complimented them with a black belt that held a buckle that rested on the small silver button that clasped the ends of his jeans together. His shirt was a white button down, most likely belonging to a suit he chose not to wear on purpose. Like his jeans, they fit his body just right. The way it rested against his body led Liara to infer that he still sported his average body type, she of course would have  _greatly_  preferred to see him without a shirt in person, seeing as though she had seen him shirtless already by the files she hacked when she had first got here. What the good lord had decided to grace her with however, were small pieces of dark curly hair that poked up from the top of his shirt. Lucky her, she always adored chest hair, to her it was exactly what a real man as supposed to have. 

All in all, he truly was an attractive man. But, something about him was a little bit...different. She found herself noticing that he was not the typical type of attractive she had encountered countless times along her long, tiring travels'. The men she previously delt with were the ones she found physically appealing, but ultimately boring. She knew what men liked, and how they liked it, and if she was like that, she would play them until the cows came home. But she couldn’t. She may know what mean like, and she was aware of how to work them in her favor, but they always lacked something. The moment she saw them, she always noticed. But oddly, she could not sense this with Bruce, it was something about his presence that was so final, and weirdly stable. Had she gone by the reputation the gossipers had given him, she would have had reason to be suspecios. Lucky for him, she could think for herself.

Liara took a breath as she returned to her reality. How long had she been standing here? Had she been staring at this man the entire time? It felt like it, she figured it had to deal with the fact she was still waiting on him to finish whatever the hell had his eyes practically glued to the screen in front of him. Seriously, why the hell was he not done yet? 

"Okay yeah, I am patient, but not this patient." She spoke, ripping her hands from her jacket and spinning his computer in her direction. 

"What the hell are you-" 

"Shhh, I'm reading." She spoke, crouching slightly to look at the computer screen. She sat herself back up and bounced her eyes from the computer back to him. "Really? You had me waiting all this time because of an email?"

"It is not just an email it-" 

" _Is_  an email." She interrupted, crossing her arms. "There is a to and from, and a biiiig blank space that lets you type messages." 

"Liara-"

"I was starting to age at an accelerated rate because of Aol, I can't believe it." She murmured to herself. 

"They are copies of your blood work." He rushed out, finally regaining her attention. "After the last few injections, I emailed buddies of mine back from my stay in the islands. They are going to run some additional tests to see if there is a way to prolong the balance of your blood, and the blood e inject you with." 

With a raised brow and click of her tongue against her teeth she spoke. "Okay cool, but remember when we started this little secret mission of mine, and I told you  _specifically_ , that this had to be on the down low? Do you know what that means  _Mr. Seven_ _Phd's_ _?_ Clearly you don’t, so let me remind you. That means no outside interference. None. Nada. Zip. Did you even consider security? Doubt it, you don't even know how to use an email." 

Bruce lifted his right elbow and placed it on the desk. His brows clenched together as he grabbed the bridge of his nose. "I know exactly what that means, Liara. Which is why I am sending the blood work on a secure network, completely untraceable. I also have you listed on all papers as unknown, meaning no one will know it's you. Completely secure" 

"Nah, Not good enough for me, Jeckyll." She spoke with a shake of the head. "But, since you already went to such great lengths to be all defiant,  _real_   _sexy_  by the way, I'll do you a solid and  _allow_  you to send  _my_  paperwork to your buddies. However, do some shady shit like this again without me knowing, I'll be sure to have my own,  _completely secure_  foot, all the way up your completely secure ass." 

Bruce raised a brow as Liara crouched once again to the laptop facing her. Her shoulder length blond-pink tipped locks fell slightly over her shoulder. She typed away on the computer, her eyes watching intently on what was directly in front of her. Her dimple made itself known on her right cheek as she pushed her lips to the side, showing her focus. Bruce noticed some time ago that the small indent appeared in her cheek during certain situations. When she laughed, most of the time at her on jokes, when she was pissed or in pain, and when she was focused.  

He started to notice a lot of small details about her the more they were in each other's presence. Which of course was not so uncommon when you see the same person every other day. He was certain there would be things she would start to notice about him as well. It was the hidden moments however, the times his gaze would fall on her and she failed to notice as she was in her own thoughts. 

She looked so sad when she thought no one was looking, she looked almost drained. He found himself wondering why, of course her current predicament was not exactly an optimistic situation, but there had to be more. She looked like she was mentally and physically  _exhausted_. If anyone knew the tell signs of that emotional anguish, it was him.  

The sarcasm was a clear cover, he could see that clearly now. Much like Tony she very clearly excelled in using banter to diffuse a serious of a situation to make it either hurt less or cover their own distress. Her sudden defensiveness just now was a clue to him that there was a very specific reason she wanted to keep this so lock and key.  The question that seemed to come full circle anytime Liara's name or presence was made known, was what is she hiding, and why? 

"The last time someone looked at me so intensely, I got laid." The woman spoke, bringing Bruce Back from his own thoughts. 

"Hmm?" He asked, earning an eye roll from the she-wolf. 

"Basically, I said that unless you are gonna give me the Italian sausage, you can calm down staring at me like I'm from the twilight zone." 

"I...I didn't mean-" 

"Stuttering proves your guilty, but it's cool, but if you wanna keep undressing me with your eyes, like I told you before, I want dinner first." She sat upright once again and turned the laptop back in Bruces' direction. "I tapped into the software on your computer and created an algorithm that sends your message and erases all cookies and back tracking that could come from any outside source. Same goes for your buddy, when he sends anything back it will come on the network I created. You're welcome." 

"That usually takes weeks to program something like that." He spoke. 

"I mean yeah sure, if you're an armature." She chuckled. "Luckily for me, I know how to use my brain, making stuff like this quite simple really, so can we do this procedure now? I have a pirate to talk to and I want to be....ya know, coherent." 

Bruce simply nodded, his gazing falling to the floor momentarily before he stood up and fixed his shirt. Liara winked at him, then spun her body and made her way to exit the lab. 

"No one has ever...threated me, before." She heard from behind her, causing her to pause. "They know what I am." 

She smirked to herself and turned around to look at the average height scientist. "I know  _who_ you are too Jeckyll, difference between me and them, I don't scare easily, as far as I remember I never have. Made you feel like normal man for a second didn't I, again, you're welcome. Guess I did you to solids today huh?" 

She gave another sarcastic smile and lifted her brown before turning back to her original position and walking out his eye sight to get to the med bay. Unbeknownst to her, her words rang in the scientist head, giving him even more deafening curiosity than he had just a few moments ago. 


	27. Gaze of Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve goes to enjoy the morning sunrise as he always does, only to be welcomed by a surprise guest.

Getting a chance to gaze upon the sky as the sun rose to its peak in the morning was not only a blessing, but a privilege for the first Avenger. There was something about the changing of night to day that stuck something inside of him, it made him feel...revived, uplifted, it made him feel free.  This simple pleasure was a nice way to at least take some time to himself, all the while enjoying at least some time away from the pressures of modern society that constantly integrated into his life day by day.

This was why he always got up at the same time every day, seeing the hope of the morning light gave him motivation to carry his day in the best way he could, it was a way for him to remember this is the land he came from, and that it was his duty to make it safe for everyone, then maybe one day, the good people will see what he sees, and that in itself was a reason to keep going. 

By the time Steve would awaken to make his way to his usual spot, the hallways would be practically noiseless. Many of the workers who lived in the tower were either already hard at work, or fast asleep as many pulled all-nighters trying to decipher codes, upgrade suits, or any number of tasks needed for the success of the team as a whole. He did enjoy it, it was a nice change of pace from the rest of his day, which was filled with constant chatter, planning, and of course the never ending fighting. 

He sighed in relief to himself as he came closer to his place of peace, he knew how cheesy it may have been for him to be so excited for the sunrise, but he could not help himself, he was just so entranced, and with the view the tower balcony provided, how could anyone blame him?  It was just above the tree tops, giving a nice view of the edge of the forests just beyond. Once the light hit the trees just right, it was like heaven on earth, the leaves shined along with morning dew, the wind pushed the grass in a slow and graceful dance.  It was a thing of beauty that made even the strongest man appreciate anything his eyes could catch a glimpse of before the day would truly begin. 

With a small smile to himself, he fixed his shoulders and pulled down his short sleeve blue muscle shirt to straighten it as he turned the final corner to reach the balcony. Just as he made his way around the sharp corner, he paused, taking in the sight in front of him, his breath catching in his throat slightly. 

The pink sky shined bright against the long white hair that blew gently in the wind against her back. From what he could see, she wore a light blue shirt, much like his own. The tops of her shoulders were covered by the fabric, but her arms remained free, they showed the chill of the air as goose bumps laid across her skin ever so lightly. The black leggings she wore fit her well, hugging her every curve well enough to see her full, yet slim body shape easily. 

Her body was so still, as if she was a statue planted in the middle of the spot she currently resided in. For the first time, Steve could tell by her presence that she was actually calm, her shoulders were relaxed, her posture was straight, and he could hear her steady breaths and she looked to the forest in front of her. 

Steve assumed that she may not know that he was currently standing not too far behind her, or her body language would read something very different.  He wanted to move, to alert her that he was there, but there was something about seeing her in his fashion that fascinated him. It was not many times that he saw, or even felt her be so care free. From the first time he saw her, to the extended time they had been spent together, she always seemed so high strung and guarded. In many ways, she reminded him a lot of Bucky since his detachment from Hydra, though he would ever tell her that or risk an ear full. 

“You’re going to miss the sunrise if you stay all the way back there you know.” He heard called out to him. 

He shook his head, bringing his thoughts back to reality as he looked up, she had not turned to face him, but he did notice her shoulder had tensed, but not as much as they usual did when he was around. 

“Oh, right. I was-” 

“Doesn’t matter.” She interrupted. “Just come on before you miss it.” 

Her voice was steady, yet quiet and delicate. Which to him was very unlike her, he was used to the forceful, sarcastic attitude she had given since day one. Shrugging it off, he nodded to himself and walked slowly out to the balcony, making his way to stand just to the left of her to take in the morning view. 

“Beautiful isn’t it.” She spoke, her voice barley above a whisper. 

“Very.” He agreed, his eyes not leaving the trees ahead of him. 

“I remember the first time I was able to see the sunrise with my own eyes, ya know, like apart from Alana’s boring ones. With my own  _actual eye_ s.” She started. “It was the first time in decades I was actually speechless, coming from me that means something.” 

She chuckled, and Steve could not help but smile, the sound she made was oddly pleasant for him.  They continued to look forward, watching as the sun slowly began to rise off the horizon. 

“Fun fact by the way, it took me at least ten floors to figure out this was the spot you came to every morning.” 

Taken aback, Steve turned from the forest to look to her. “You were looking for the spot I watched?” 

“Yeah, but don’t get all uptight and cautious, I was not stalking you or anything.” She spoke defensively, not looking away from the forest “I, believe it or not, like to watch this human star rise as well, oddly enough it is calming for me, I had been to practically every floor trying to find the perfect view since I was uncuffed and given a proper room.”  She continued, “I knew this was your daily routine next to running with Bucket, I wanted to see if you managed to find the perfect spot. I also didn’t want to cheat and use your footsteps as reference to find it so I went to every floor every other morning until I found it.”  

She finally turned to look at him, a small smile spreading across her face.  Her eyes, much like her hair, shined brightly against the sunlight, the emerald green sparkle made her eyes look almost fragile, like the most delicate glass. Steve could see why she took such pride in being part of the universe, nature itself made her glow in the grandest way. 

Steve’s eyes lingered on her as she turned to look back at the sky. Now that he had a chance to really look at her, he could see that through all that beauty, something was troubling her. Her eyes, though focused on the sight in front of her, seemed very distant. She held the very same look Bucky had the first time he brought him back to the tower as an official Avenger. 

As if by nature, he turned his head away and began to speak.  “You know if there is something wrong you can talk, I do listen very well.” 

The alien chuckled. “What makes you think there is something wrong?” 

“Believe it or not” He began, mocking her. “I think I know you well enough to know that something is off with you, you seem not yourself.” 

“Oh? You mean i’m not telling people of in my aggressive yet very comedic sarcastic nature?” She asked, a playful tone in her voice. “No one is up yet, give it a few hours.” 

“No.” He spoke, ignoring her deflection. “I mean you look....I don’t know, lost.” 

She shrugged. “Earth is pretty big, I haven't even toured all of Europe yet.” 

Steve sighed. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine as well, just know I am here to talk if need be.” 

 He let the sentence hang, allowing the silence to carry the weight it now held high on its shoulders. He stared to the forest beyond, when a small sigh was head to his right. 

“Remember a while ago when I said we all have our Scars? And that memories we bury tend to find their way back to you?” She asked, her eyes fixed on an object in front of her. 

“Yeah. Why?” He agreed, turning to look to her. 

“Welp, I _guess_ you could say, a big one of mine and Alana’s has....come to a tipping point.” Steve watched as she looked down to the grass below, as if trying to find the words she needed to continue. “Long story short, Alana and I had a difference of opinion on a series of things, aka we had a fight on said matters and now we have no choice but to confront it.” 

The cryptic words of the green-eyed female played in Steve’s mind as he responded. “And what memory has you two so at odds? 

She sighed heavily, shaking her head as she answered. “It’s not my place to tell just yet, but this has weighed heavy for a while, for both of us, and once this is confronted, I know it’s gonna change everything.”  

“What do you mean?” 

“I meant what I said.” 

“That doesn’t really help me.” Steve pushed. 

“It’s not to help you, you’re listening to me vent before I can’t vent anymore.” She spoke, her voice rushed. “I have always been....prepared for things like this, it’s in my nature, I have always had a way to win, I usually  _always_  win, but for some reason this time is different. It’s taken a turn that I wasn’t prepared for and I don’t think I can fix it.” 

He kept his gaze on her, taking in the sight of her slight anxiousness and she spoke freely to him. “I’m used to having everything under control, I am always ahead not caring of how things play out. I’m not used to this, I'm not in control anymore and now I don’t, so now it‘s like I’m-….Like I’m” 

“Lost?” He finished, going back to his original point he made not too long ago. 

She looked at him, and he could see the uncertainty in her eyes. “If that’s what this is, I don’t like it. Do not tell anyone this or I will fry your mouth closed.” She suddenly warned, making his eyes grow wide 

Steve nodded in understanding, trying to make sense of all that she had gave him. “Well, the way I see it, if you have no choice but to confront it, then do what you always do. Accept the consequences and do what you can.” 

Phe huffed and crossed her arms. “If only it were that simple.” 

“It can be if you let it.” He started. “Part of being human, is accepting that some things are just beyond your control.” 

“I’m not human Steve.” She noted. 

“No, but the emotion you’re feeling right now is.” He corrected. “All of us have felt it, all of us have had to confront something, and Like you said before, it’s in the past, what's done is done, now It's up to you to deal with it, and move on.” 

“Oh I can move on, that’s how I am, but I highly doubt everyone else will, that’s what really  _fucking_  sucks.” Phe spoke, earning her a raised brow. 

“ _Language_.” Steve poked, holding up a finger and waving it. 

Phe looked at him and smiled, allowing a laugh to escape her lips. “Sorry  _mom_ , I forgot you get all icky with swear words.” 

He shrugged, turning to back to the sky just as the sun finally reached the peak of the horizon, illuminating the tops of the trees, and shining through to the forest ground, lighting up the grass as the wind blew gently through each blade. “Eh, it was just to make you laugh, I’m not _that_  uptight.” 

Phe smiled to him, before accompanying his gaze to scenery beyond. It was silent for only a moment, when he heard her speak once more. “Huh, ironic.” 

“What’s up?” He asked. 

“I was right once again.” She said plainly 

“Oh?” He asked, curious. ” How so?” 

She shrugged, crossing her arms once again. “I told myself you would know the perfect spot to watch the sunrise, and that if anyone could calm me down from whatever, even for a little while, it was you spandex....I guess that I win once again.” 

Steve chuckled as a smile came across his face. He placed his hands behind his back, straitening his posture as he continued to look forward. “I guess you do.” 


	28. Change it up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Alana have a quick sparring session to better Alana's fighting skills

“I’m not understanding how this helps with human arm strength, this is incredibly easy, I can do this in my sleep. I'm already at 150.” The red-haired alien spoke, pulling her body over the pole once again. 

“Not everyone has heightened strength to do 150 pull up’s Alana.” Bucky spoke, watching her with his arms crossed across his chest. “For some this is actually hard.”

“Well that’s sad.” Alana said as she paused, letting go of the pole she landing on her feet and she quickly straightened herself. She placed her arms on her hips and glared at him. “You  _just_  did two hundred of these Bucky, whats your excuse?” 

“Well, to put it simply, I’m not everyone.” he winked, walking past her and over to the sparring mat. “Super soldier, remember?” 

Alana smiled to herself before turning around to face the soldier, her arms going flat at her side. His wife beater was black, as per usual, his dark grey jogging pants were tight against his skin from the sweat of the rigorous workout Alana and himself had been doing since the start of dawn. Her own clothing differed from his own, it consisted of a white spaghetti strap tee, stopping just at her belly button, her legs were covered by black yoga pants, while her feet sported white and gray sneakers.

“Care to spar?” he asked, his hand extended to the heavy blue mat he stood on. 

“I thought you were teaching me how to use all these workout machines?” She asked, looking around the room with a raised brow. 

“I am, but this mat is just as much as a machine as the ones you can plug in or lift.” He explained. “Sparring is a practice, it teaches you defense, offense, and better control on the battlefield.” 

“Bucky...You know I already know how to fight just fine, I’m older than you remember.” Alana noted to him. “I’ve had tons of pratice.” 

“You sure? Come on, indulge me then.” He invited again, his hand still out toward the mat. “Besides, I’ve seen you figh on dozens of missions, I figure I can give you just a couple pointers. You never know what could help. Besides, no harm in freshening up your arsonal. ” 

She eyed him for a moment, before sighing and taking off her tennis shoes and walking toward his extended arm. 

“You know this is basically pointless, right?” Alana noted her head cocking to the side as she rolled her eyes, making her ponytail fall in the air to her left. 

“Whatever you say.” He nodded. He got into defense position, putting both his arms up in front of him, he stared at her and gave a single nod. “Now, try to punch at me.” 

“I don’t think that-” 

“Come  _on_  Alana, stop the bickering and just try to punch me already.” He insisted. 

She eyed him once again, shocked at his eagerness for her to hit him. With a heavy sigh, she placed herself in defense position. Without warning, she swung, throwing her right fist directly to his face, which he easily dogged by moving to his left without moving his body. She quickly swung again, bringing her right fist to his new position and he ducked, dodging her fist once more without any movement.

“Not as easy as you thought is it? I didn‘t even have to move.” He noted, his tone making her feel judged. 

“I’m not done trying to hit you yet.” She spoke to him. She through her right fist, which he dodged, when she suddenly swooped to the ground, swinging her right leg to his feet, causing him to lose balance and fall onto his back. 

She lifted a brow as she stood back up and looked down to him, giving a cocky smile. He lifted his upper half with his arms behind him and looked up to her with a smile. “I totally gave that one to you.” 

“Uh huh, Sure you did tough guy.” She mocked with a fake nod and a smile, extending her hand for him to take. 

He took her hand and she pulled him up with ease, then they both quickly got back to position, ready to start again. 

“Alright, that was round one, now, round two, this time I won’t go as easy on you.” He informed, his face now serious and determined.

“Cool, now maybe I’ll have some competition.” She winked as she rolled her shoulders. 

She threw a punch with her left fist aiming for his face as she did the first time, he evaded quickly, ducking low enough to throw a punch straight to her gut with his flesh fist, causing her to groan as her body moved backwards by force. She regained her footing and looked at him in shock. 

“Always anticipate your opponent's next move, your lower half was completely exposed, it's easy to take advantage of that.” He spoke, nodding toward her. 

She raised a brow and launched herself at him, punching him in the chest, she tossed a left fist which he dogged once again, she underestimated his quick reflexes and before she knew it, he had come up behind her and swooped her legs from under her, sending her to the ground face first. 

“I thought you said you knew what you were doing?” He teased, making her grit her teeth. “Never underestimate your opponent's reflexes, always assume they know what they are doing, the more you do that, the more likely it is that you can strike first, and hard.” She spun around quickly and threw he legs in the air, lifting her whole body back to a standing position. 

She huffed, charging for him and going for another leg sweep. He jumped as she rose from the ground, landing on his feet as she charged her fist toward him. He jumped to the side swiftly, throwing his own punch with his metal arm toward her head. Alana bounced to her right, giving her enough room to quickly push her right fist toward him again. He caught it, twisting her entire arm behind her back with his flesh hand, his metal arm quickly reached across her body and clenched hard, stopping her arms from moving, trapping her body against his. 

“You’re using the exact same moves.” He noted his mouth inches from her left ear. “It makes you predictable and very easy to subdue. You have to change it up.” 

Alana’s breathing was now uneven as she became more and more frustrated. She could feel the annoyance of him trapping her in her bones, but, there was something else she could not quite place stirring inside of her. She felt anxious, and her very being started to become very uneasy. Her stomach felt tight as she felt her heart beating faster and faster. When he spoke to her, she could feel her body growing cold with unmistakable goosebumps all over her skin, not just from his voice, but from the closeness of his body. 

Alana could feel his breath against her, the rhythm of his breathing against her was causing her mind to race. She did not know if it was the human adrenalin running through his body, but she could have sworn his own heart beat was accelerating too, just as hers was. His hands held down just a bit tighter and She felt confused, although only mere seconds had passed, it felt like she had been in this position longer than she had intended. She had to get out of this, the feelings of annoyance and whatever accompanied it was starting to make her panic. She thrashed against his hold, trying hard to free her arms, but to no avail. The more she struggled the harder  he held her down. 

“It’s Not gonna be that easy to get free doll.  _Especially_  not on the battlefield. The enemy’s goal is to either injure or kill you. You’re gonna have to try harder.” He spoke to her again, his breath somehow hotter than before.  She tried paying attention to his words, but there was something picking at the back of her mind, hindering her focus.

She could feel her ponytail sliding up his body with each breath they took, making her breath hitch. _Was he doing whatever he was doing on purpose? If he was, what was he even doing to her? This couldn’t be a normal response to fighting could it?_  She thought to herself.  _No, stop, not now,_  she thought again forcing herself to stay on track.  _Focus Alana_ ,  _how do you get out of this? Think, get out of this hold, now_. She closed her eyes, taking a deep sigh as she focused her mind. Then, she struck, she stomped her foot on his and used the back of her leg to push his knee inward. He buckled and she used the opportunity to get her full body free. With great force, she threw her hand behind her and grabbed his flesh arm, and pulled his body up and over hers, sending him down to the ground and on his back with a hard thud. 

He groaned on the ground, he gathered himself and propped himself up. Looking up to her, he watched her uneven breaths with hidden pride as she bounced up and down slightly, keeping her defensive position. He smiled and nodded to her as he helped himself up, he made a small groan before putting his hands together in a slow clap. “Good, you’re already learning to do better.” 

Alana’s pose softened as did her facial expression. She straightened herself as her breathing began to steady. A small shrug accompanied her next sentence. “Well, Phe did teach me just the basics, my other teachers would be proud even though I still do have a thing or two learn so...thanks, I guess.” 

“Anytime.” He nodded with a small smile. “Well will have to add this to our normal gym work out sessions, along with you taking compliments.” 

She nodded in agreement. “Sure Yes, and next time, maybe I’ll teach you a thing or two. You were a little weak with the punched and kicks there, buddy.” 

“Hey now, I just threw my punches so I would not hurt you is all.” He spoke with a slightly raised voice. 

“I mean I have ‘heightened strength’ as you called it” She quoted “So throwing punches for me is unnecessary, and at any rate, throwing punches should feel like a hard tap, not a soft flick.” 

“Woooow.” He spoke, crossing his arms at her. “If I was sensitive, that might have actually hurt my feelings.” 

“Good thing you’re not sensitive then.” She responded, her hands going to her hips. She lowered her hands quickly, dropping the playful tone and poke again. ” Hey, isn’t it about time for your daily run with Steve?” 

Bucky looked down to his watch and nodded, looking back up to her. “Yeah, normally he meets me here around this time, but he is running a few minutes late, it isn’t like him, but hey I’m not complaining.” 

“Huh.” She voiced. “I wonder what’s keeping him?” 

“That would be because me, the queen of this camp.” Alana heard spoken from behind her. Bucky looked up, his face changing to that of utter annoyance. Alana whispered a small sigh and turned around, facing the familiar voice. “Though I’m sure you do not understand the term fashionably late...as you actually have to have style and  _well_....” 

Alana watched Phe look her up and down as she turned her lip in disgust. The fire haired woman tilted her head slightly, her lips in an unamused frown. Before she could speak however, her eyes darted to the space in-between Steve and her counterpart, she took notice in the fact that Phe’s arms was wrapped around Steves, while her right hand clenched onto his muscle lightly.  

“Sorry I’m late Bucky.” Steve spoke, his voice soft and sincere. “We were having a little chat.” 

“It’s not problem Steve.” Bucky answered with a single nod. He looked back at Phe as he finished his sentence. “Alana and I were just doing some exercise training anyway.” 

_Oh_ _I’m_ _sure you were._  Phe though telepathically, making Alana glare.  _Tell me, is that just the sweat I smell on you, or is it something else?_

“Teaching her how to fight Bucket? Good job, I taught her the basics, eventually I gave up since she can barley flip right.” She spoke with a shrug. 

“Phe....” Steve warned.

_Oh,_ _you’re talking to me now?_ Alana asked, ignoring Phe’s Jab.  _Or is this all show so you can suck up to Steve some more?_

_Nice come back_ Phe complimented with a chuckle.  _Guess all that time you’ve been spending with the dog and metal arm since I ditched you finally gave you a back bone, about time honestly, I was getting bored of wiping the floor with_ _you_ _every day_ _._

“She was actually pretty good without my help.”Bucky defended, his voice calm and confident. “I’m just helping her add some new moves so she fight anything and anyone that’s comes at her.” 

Phe, with a raised brow looks at Bucky, then to Alana. With another playful smile, she looks back to Bucky. “Well, good on you I guess, what do you want a cookie? And anyways, who would ever attack someone as pure and disgustingly innocent as Alana, right? Just looking in her eyes has me weak at the knees she is so cute.” 

“Alright Phe, enough.” Steve spoke again. 

_Wow, both men defending you. Looks like someone is the fan favorite._  She called out to Alana’s head with a snicker.

“You guys still going on your run today?” Alana asked Steve, not bothering to respond to Phe. 

“If Bucky is still up to it, sure.” He answered with a smile, clearly trying to diffuse the situation little by litttle. 

“You know it buddy.” Bucky answered, his feet coming to a stop as he now stood next to Alana, she watched his eyes go down to the intertwined arms, as she observed earlier. He brushed his look off quickly and turned to Alana, placing a hand on her left shoulder. “You’ll be alright here?” 

“Oh yeah, for sure.” She assured him with a smile. ” I was hoping to get some one on one time with good o’l Phe anyway.” 

Bucky’s eyes darted looked to Phe and back to her in worry. She could easily see he was not okay with her request, seeing as she told him about the staus of her and Phe’s current relationship. She also noticed that by the same look of uneasiness and worry on Steve’s face, Phe must have updated him on the exact same information. 

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Bucky asked, his voice unsure. 

“Yeah Alana, are you sure?” Phe asked. “Can’t have anyone worrying we will tear down the place, or that I'll rip your arm off for my enjoyment.”

“Yeah I’m sure.” Alana answered ignoring her once again. “Unless Phe objects of course, I would not want to deprive her of a choice.” 

Phe smiled at the jab directed at her, before looking to Bucky with a very sarcastic look. “Don’t worry Bucket, I promise to take good care of her, after all, I’m not one to scare away from a truthful heart to heart, I like to deal with problems head on, not wait till the very last minute.” 

Phe turned back to Alana and smiled, the devilish smirk filled with hidden hatred and growing anger. The two soldiers looked between the women before looking at each other, the same distressed look  on their faces. 

Phe blinked, looking from Alana to the frozen men. “Look, I promise we will be fine gentlemen, _s_ _he_ will be fine, go, enjoy your run. Go on now.” She spoke as if speking to puppies. She removed her arm from Steves as she began swatting toward the door. “Go on, go work on your...porkstings or whatever.” 

“It’s hamstrings, Phe.” Bucky corrected. 

“Ham, pork, same difference, I’ve heard it both ways.” She shrugged. “Either way it’s the name of a pig, which is what you both will look like if you don’t leave and run, so like, bye.” She spoke again with a waved, followed by a flirtatious wink in Bucky’s direction. 

Bucky simply rolled his eyes, before following Steve out the gym room door to the main elevator to leave the tower, leaving Phe and Alana within each other's company. Their eyes deeply focused onto one another, like their very essence depended on their will to successfully maintain strong eye contact. Their hands were clenched tight, turning their knuckles white and inevitably leaving deep nail indents in their soft alien skins. Each woman bit down hard onto their tongues, drawing blood as both clearly struggled to hold in their frustrations their heart and souls held for each other. If one thing was made clear, is that here and now, not even the sharpest knife in the world, even if made from vibranium, could not cut the tension riding around the silent room. This air was undeniably heavy, it was abundantly toxic, and right now, so were they. 


	29. Time, Compromised Puzzle Piece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phe and Alana have a heated confrontation about the truth Alana has yet to reveal

The current silence danced around the room, and though quiet in a physical sense, the deafening spiritual sound of nothing grew louder and louder in the silent party’s ears as each minuet slowly passed them by. Both woman, who each refused to move, were frozen solid in place, waiting for the other to make the first move. The high rise and fall of their chest as each woman inhaled and exhaled matched perfectly with each other, even if they themselves were far from united. 

Alana was quite aware Phe would still be overly pissed at her, she accepted it without question. She knows that Phe has every right to be, even if Phe left with her head held high during the initial altercation. Alana had come to terms with the fact Phe’s close relationship with Steve in the end would play a grand part in Phe coping with everything, and the closer the two became day by day without Steve knowing the truth, the angrier she would no doubt become. Alana of course felt guilty, she still does. It is that very twinge of guilt that keeps her up at all hours of the night. She practically pleads and prays the gods for the chance to start over, but she can’t, and now she has to live with that regret forever. However, the one thing Alana cannot seem forget, are the destructive words spoken by Phe, the women she had come to trust with her life. The very same words that angrily rings guilts bell in her tortured soul the more she the words replay over in her head. Phe blamed Alana for it all, and that was simply unfair, and untrue. Surely Phe understands this. She had to, it’s who she was. The pain and betrayal Alana feels in her heart as she looks into her counterpart's eyes, quickly shadowed over any and every rational thought she could even muster. Phe was wrong, end of story.   

On the other side, Phe herself held onto the knowledge that Alana would still be outraged for how the entire situation was handled. The silver eyed child no doubt has a considerable amount of hate and resentment toward her, especially with the many hurtful and despicable things spewed at her that day. Phe however, has long since come to terms with the consequences of her childish actions, as that was part of her nature, but another undeniable fact, one that Phe would never admit it aloud, is that there is a small part of her that did indeed feel a prick of regret for her chosen words to her counterpart. Alana depended on her for a great deal of things, physically and emotionally, even if it goes unsaid, like many other things in their joined relationship. She knows that when it came down to it, the harsh reality is that Alana trusts Phe more than she could ever trust herself. If anything, Phe sees that she should honestly be proud that Alana chose herself to come clean at all even with all her fears intact, she chose herself to step up do the right thing. Had this have been dozens of decades ago, with the freshly made Alana, she would have never even considered the notion. She has grown more than Phe imagined, and perhaps deep down she is proud of her, but that doesn’t stop the fact Phe has no choice but to be caught in the cross fire of Alana’s slow decision. That in the end is what disgusts Phe the most. Everything they built in the present, now has the potential to be destroyed because of a butterfly effect created by a single action made in the past, a decision she helped make, a decision she foolishly let come to fruition. If the universe and her experiences taught her anything, she knew the gods would show neither of them mercy, and were she in their shoes, neither would she.   

 The other harsh revelation, the one that nags at Phe the most, is that even with this dire situation aside, there was still something Alana was keeping from her, she is willingly choosing to hide the truth from her, even when Phe insists she knows something is up. Alana is practically lying in her face, and that is slowly diminishing any and all trust Phe has ever built with the fire haired female. How can she be expected to trust the young gullible Alien she helped raise, the one who supposedly trusts her with her very being, when that same girl constantly hides the truth and can’t be responsible enough to trust Phe when it supposedly matters the most? The anger and Betrayal Phe felt, the pain and anguish she continues to feel in her gut for the evens to come, and for the events she is hidden from, greatly overshadows any feeling of remorse or growing guilt. Right now, she could care less about hurt feelings or guilty consciousness as Steve calls it, as of right now, Phe looks into Alana’s eyes and sees nothing, she feels nothing. Alana’s feelings to her were like that of a mirage in an endless scorching desert, imaginary. 

Alana swallowed, and took a short breath, forcing her mind and inner spirit to calm. Now that she can think with a least somewhat of a rational mind, she remembers she was the one that asked for this confrontation to begin with, it was only fair she be the one to break the seemingly unbreakable ice, perhaps she can reason with her if she tries hard enough.

“Holding Steve’s arm now, are we? That’s new.” Alana called out to her. 

“No,  _we_  are not, that precious honor is my blessing alone thanks.” Phe spit harshly. “Besides, I gotta at least try to enjoy all I can before you crumble everything into a big heaping pile of secret keeping dust.” She winced to herself. Phe, realizing her words a bit too late, immediately closed her eyes and sighed heavily. _Crap._  Her tone came out a lot hasher than she intended. She had to be cordial about this, if Alana does indeed want to talk, the  _Steve_  thing to do, would be to try and hear her out, despite her anger. 

Phe opened her eyes, letting her green orbs stare into Alana’s silver ones as she spoke again. “Sorry.” 

Alana raised her brows in stunned surprise. “Did you just apologize? Publicly? Wow, Steve must have really got to you-”

“Don’t get cocky okay, I apologized for my  _tone only_ , I stand by my words one hundred percent.” Phe quickly noted to her. 

“I did not ask to speak to you for us to fight, Phe-” 

“Oh Really?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest in protest. “Welp, that seems to be all we know how to do these days so you could have  _really_  fooled me buttercup.” 

“Look I know your still mad-” Alana started

“Damn right I am.” Phe interrupted. 

“ _I know your still mad._ ” Alana began again, looking to the ground to calm herself again. She paused, looking for any indication that she was going to be cut off again. After a few seconds of wanted silence, she pressed on. “I’m not going to lie, I am pissed too, and as much as I want to stay mad, I also know right now we really cannot function like this.” 

“Uh, correction.” Phe spoke, holding a finger up from one of her hands clasping on her crossed arms as she looked to the ground.  “Lemme stop you right there Mrs. diplomat, I can function  _just fine_ , in fact, I’m doing very well with ignoring the fact you even exist. I’ve had a blast actually.” 

“That is not what I mean, Phe.” Alana spoke, looking to her. 

“Isn’t it?” Phe asked, looking right back at her, her voice steady. “And to be frank, you seem to be just fine without me too, don’t deny it. You got yourself a man now, who is clearly digging all your dusty parts, you have a bff who _reeks_  of tainted blood and bad decisions. You basically have your own Scooby gang, at least for now. Don’t be sad though, at least one of the two won’t hate you once all this extra mess is done for....well her and Thor, lord knows he practically worships you. Two outta three ain’t bad. Maybe you can ring up Loki as your back up toy, next to Thor of course.” 

“You know this is the right thing to do Phe, it has to be done.” Alana conversed to her alien frenemy, her voice confident as she completely ignored Phe’s sarcastic deflection. 

“Of course I know!” Phe exclaimed. “You are such a daft red-haired bimbo. The point is, _S_ _herlock_ , that this should have been done, handled, and wrapped,  _ages_  ago. All of us told  _you_  countless times to speak, and each time  _you_  kept putting it off, so now  _we_  have to suffer. Do you get that? Or maybe I should translate it into Egyptian hieroglyphics? We all know you do better with pictures.”  

“Look, I know keeping it was my fault.” Alana admitted. “However, you had parts to play in this as well, you can’t say you don’t, if you were so against me keeping the secret Phe, why didn’t you just open your mouth and spill it like you do everything else? You know I’m bad with things like this, you take pride in it when you bring it up constantly”

Phe’s eyes rolled in the back of her head in annoyance she waved her body around in a circle like a child throwing a tantrum. “Are you fuc-, Jesus Christ It’s like every single word I ever say to you bounces out your head at rapidly increasing speeds, is there a damn trampoline in there?! It was not my place to say anything because one, it wasn’t my body and two, you were the one who made the executive decision to keep it concealed, and by the rules your stupid simple pushover ass parents constructed, they were very clear-” 

“Oh please, since when have you ever listened to them?!” Alana asked in disbelief. “Any chance you got you disobeyed, I can name a handful of times you refused their so-called laws.” 

“That is true, I do break their rules often, but to be fair, I have always had serious problem with authority. I am like ages older than them anyway, it was like a child telling me what I could and could not do, HA! Please.” She defended while uncrossing her arms and planting them on her hips. “At any rate, my dear, sweet, not quite mentally sound Alana, all the rules I ever broke were in reference to me, I have followed every single law instructed to me when it pertained you, and that is just the facts.”

 “That is a lie.” Alana spoke plainly, looking her body up and down. 

“It’s the truth, don’t even give me that look.” Phe disagreed. “Us being separated had _everything_  to do with me and only a  _little bit_ _t_ o do with you, honestly you just so happened to be involved by pure circumstance. There was absolutely no way I was  gonna stay imprisoned in that head of yours because they were worried I was commit do some big no, no’s.” She explained, her tone annoyed and childlike. 

“Which you ended up doing regardless.” 

“Yeah. Because of what was inside both our screwed-up bodies, hence why I knew I had to get. The fuck. Out. Period.” Phe emphasized strongly. “Neither of us would have survived another week together with me stuck in there, one day, perhaps your little brain will comprehend that, till then, you can stay uneducated and close minded for all I care, either way I’m free and you’re just gonna have to deal.” 

“It did not have to be like this, if you had simply stayed-”

“You would have combusted like an overstuffed balloon, and I would have to return to your  _tacky_  house and explain to your mommy and daddy why their precious heir is now in rage mode because they are idiots for thinking you could handle so much power with no training. Simple as that, I did the right thing, end of story, everyone will know that in time, now, next issue please. I’m bored.” Phe spoke waving her fingers in Alana’s face.  

“You’re impossible.” Alana huffed crossing her arms and rolling her eyes. 

“So I have been told countless times, and like back then, I agree and don’t give a damn, this aint my first go round honey, you’re new not me.” Phe nodded. 

“This is not going to be solved with one discussion, especially not with everyone still in the dark.” Alana explained. 

“Oh I know, and they still don’t know the truth becauseeeee...” Phe dragged out, bending her head toward Alana. “Come on say it with me now, I know you can do it, _I, Alana still_ _haven’t_ _said a word to the team about you know who’s doing you know what.”_

“I am going to tell them Phe, I just-” 

“I swear to God Alana, If you say you need more time I am going to get the hulk to bash you in the skull on principle.” Phe interrupted, her tone dark. 

“That was not what I was going to say if you let me talk and actually shut up for once.” Alana spat, now glaring at Phe, who simply closed her mouth and shrugged. She extending her hand to her, urging Alana to continue. 

“Thank you.” Alana called, nodding her head. “The way I see it, we are always gonna be busy, there is barley free time at all for me to just gather everyone. So, at our next shied debrief before we go off for the mission, I’ll tell them everything then. That way, it’s out, we do the mission, and whatever comes after, we will deal with.”

“Drop a bombshell on them, then go into a high-risk mission where they could get distracted and get maimed or killed. Yes, smart plan Alana, great job.”  

“Right.” She spoke relaizing the issue. “Fine after mission debrief, tired or not they have to be told.”

Phe eyed Alana, the uncertain suspiciousness clear by her face. Alana remained silent, allowing her to process the information given to her. With a deep sigh, and disappointed shake of her head, the angered white-haired female looked away from her to the hallway just outside the glass gym walls. With a pop of her lips completed with a frown, she finally spoke; 

“Fine, if that’s how you want to do it, then we’ll do it. it’s your choice.” She spoke, her voice flat. 

“It’s the best I got, but I don’t want to do it unless you are ready, I figure we can come to a compromise.” Alana announced.

“I mean I’ve been ready but yeah sure, Whatever. I really just want this to be over.” Phe answered. “Secrets cause ugly wrinkles ya know, my face needs to be cleansed before it’s too late and I look like a raisin.” 

Alana silently observed Phe’s body language as Phe looked out the door. She could read that her sarcastic response was more of an impulse, and not what she was truly thinking. Alana could feel her heart slightly drop in her chest, no matter how strong Phe claims to be, this was really eating her, and Alana accepted once again, that the pain she felt was mostly her fault. 

Alana looked to the ground momentarily, before looking up to Phe, and bravely took a few steps toward her. She stopped, making sure was within arm's length of the woman, which gave her space to raise her left arm and place it comfortingly on Phe’s right shoulder. 

“I know your worried about Steve’s reaction-” 

“Don’t kid yourself, Steve is the very _last_  thing I am worried about.” Phe interrupted almost instantly, turning to eye Alana while shrugging her hand off her shoulder. Her voice became dominant, holding a forceful tone and eerie dark power as she continued. “We both have seen first-hand what this taint can do, and we have seen how badly secrets, not matter how small, affect the weak and simple minded, I know I do not do not need to remind you of that.” 

Alana remained quiet, keeping eye contact with Phe as she continued to speak, as hard as it was with part of Phe’s true dominant self-standing before her so confidently.  

“I’m more worried that the entire team we have befriended and trust will become so blindly enraged that they don’t see reason. I'm worried they will refuse to let us help them find and destroy this dumb ass tainted weapon, and foolishly go on to try and obtain it themselves, not only dooming themselves, but their entire god forsaken planet and beyond. If they can't compromise like I am choosing to do with you right now, if, with all the puzzle pieces now laid out perfectly for them to view, they truly dismiss us over what I consider a tedious, silly kept secret, I hope you, my dearest Alana, and every part of your cursed guilty soul will be ready to deal with _those_  consequences, along with the consequences of whatever else your seemingly innocent little face is hiding from everyone, including me.” 

Phe took a small breath and looked to Alana. It was a look Alana had never seen Phe show in her entire life time that she has spent with her, it was the emotions she knew all too well, pure sadness, and tainted sympathy. There was no sign anger or hatred to be found any longer, just sadness and growing pity.  Phe raised her right hand slowly, placing her hand to cup the side of Alana’s cheek. She began caressing it lightly, as if should she press too hard, she could shatter in her hands. Phe forced a small smile on her face as she dropped her hand, then with no other words, turned her body away, carrying herself out the door, and leaving Alana alone with her tortured thoughts once again.  

 


	30. Start Digging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While on their daily morning run, Steve and Bucky speak on the hostile tension between Phe And Alana, causing them to have more questions, then they have answers

As always, as Bucky and Steve went on their morning run, it would consist of three laps around the base, two laps around the forest edge, and two laps around the park about twenty minutes from the tower. Afterwords, the best friends would then just take the time to walk back to the tower, giving them time to catch up with one another. Share old memories not forgotten between the both of them, talk on any personal problems they were having, or to just enjoy small talk between close friends. To them, it was a way to keep them grounded, to remined themselves that they are more than just avengers, but they are real human beings, with real experiences. Just like everyone else.  

 One the way back to the tower, Steve took a pause, noticing his shoes had come untied. As Bucky waited for his friend to retie his sneakers, he could feel his thoughts going back to a few hours ago. The image of pure disdain on the faces of Alana and Phe were burned into his memory. He was already extremely uncomfortable with leaving the two of them in the same tower, let alone the room, and now that he and Steve have been gone for such an extended period of time, he cannot help wonder if what was already a tension filed situation, boiled over to the point of an unfortunate meltdown.  

Bucky looked down to Steve, watching as he switched knees to tie his other shoe lace. With one last run through of the situation in his mind, he decided to voice his concerns to Steve, maybe they could figure out what was going on I they put their minds together.  

“Hey so, do you think the girls are good Steve? Phe and Alana, I mean. They both looked like they were about to kill each other and anyone who tried to stop them from doing so.” Bucky spoke, leaning against a nearby tree as Steve continued to tie his shoe.  

Steve tightened the last knot on his shoe as he looked up to Bucky with his left eye squinted, protecting his vision from the brightness of the sun above them. “I’m sure they ‘re fine.” He stated, his voice sounding unsure, which Bucky caught onto instantly.  

Bucky waited until Steve was fully on his feet before he responded. “You know you sound like you’re trying to convince yourself more than anything.”  

“That’s because I am.” He admitted, his hands going to his sides as he took a large inhale. “Phe told me this morning they were having issues, but that looked way deeper than a simple heated agreement, I'm not gonna lie, the whole situation leaves a sour taste in my stomach.”  

“Same here, and Alana told me the same thing.” Bucky confessed. “I tried asking her about it, but she didn’t really seem to be in a sharing type of mood.” Bucky’s thoughts went back to the following night, when he watched idly by from the open gym doorway as Alana swung at the hanging sand bag as if it trying to escape. He remembers the bag shattering into bits and pieces from the force of her enflamed fists. He watched her shoulders rise and fall rapidly, he could hear her uneven breaths come in large inhales and exhales.  It was like he could see the anger practically dripping out of her body, which not only intrigued Bucky, but deeply worried him.  

“Now that I think about it-” Bucky started, coming back from his own flashback. “Maybe I should have pushed a little harder for her to talk, maybe things wouldn’t be as tense as they were back there.”  

“Doubt it.” Steve spoke with a slight shake of the head. “Whatever it is, it has apparently been festering between them for a while, it just finally boiled over I guess. At least that’s what I got from what Phe told me.“  

Bucky crossed his arms and leaned further back into their tree that stood by their current rest stop from their morning run. With a small bite to his bottom lip in thought, he tried to come up with other alternatives to try and figure out the cause of the ever-growing tension between the two women.  

“You know, as Phe was talking about the situation, as cryptic as it was, I had a thought.” Steve started. “It doesn’t seem like they can be in the same room as each other right now, what if we were to get a lead on this device and we have a mission?”  

“Do you think they would even be able to co-exist enough to do a mission with each other?” Bucky asked him.  

“That’s the thing Buck, you saw how they were looking at each other, geeze, you heard how they were simply  _talking_  to each other. There is no way they could function on a mission.”  

“Well we can’t just _ban_  them from missions until they make up, they are our best chance of finding the damn thing. What are we supposed to do sit them in a room and force them to talk it out?”  

“Unless we wanna pay for all the property damage, I think we can safety say that plan is a no go.” Steve spoke with a slight chuckle. “Maybe if we can find a way to figure out what it is that has them so against each other without them knowing, we can find a way to convince them separately to get back on the same page.”  

“We could ask around, maybe close acquaintances between the two of them? Someone has to know what’s going on, we just have to figure out who is closest to them besides the both of us.” Bucky spoke as he brainstomed a loud with Steve, who looked to the ground in thought. 

“You think Thor knows?” Bucky asked suddenly, earning a raised brow from Steve. “Well, we all know Alana and Thor are pretty.... _Close_ , maybe he knows what’s up with them, we could ask him?”  

“That’s true.” Steve confirmed with a nod, until an unfortunate frown came upon his face as a thought came to him. “But, if he does know anything, he would more than likely end up going to Alana and telling her he told us, or that we asked about it. We can’t risk escalating the situation more than it already is.”  

“Damn. That is true. Who knows what would happen if they found out we were asking questions, to many assumptions would be made.”  

“Exactly.” Steve spoke with a nod in agreement. “Hmm...Wait, what about Liara?”  

“What about her?” Bucky asked, his tone curious.  

“She knows both Phe  _and_  Alana, and she knows a lot of their history, history that she herself is a part of in some aspects, if anyone knows what’s been brewing with them over the past few decades wouldn’t it be her?” 

“That’s a strong possibility, but how can we be sure if we did go to her, that she would not go to Alana and tell her we were asking questions? She is as much Alana’s friend as Thor is, if not more so.”  Bucky questioned.  

“She won’t.” Steve assured his friend. “Nick let me know a few things about his old friend a couple days after she was brought to the team, apparently she is still slightly pressed over what went down with her and Alana.”  

“Really?” Bucky asked in slight surprise. “But I see them talking and hanging out every now and again, they seem like they made amends.”  

Steve nodded. “They did, but Liara is the type who forgives, but doesn’t forget. Meaning she makes amends, but that doesn’t mean she won’t try to get back at Alana for wronging her to begin with. Eye for eye is her moto. She just waits for the perfect opportunity.”  

Bucky eyed Steve in confusion. “So what? We go to Liara and let her need to get petty revenge against Alana be fulfilled by her telling us Phe and Alana‘s issues with each other?”  

Steve shrugged. ”It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s a plan. We are really stretched when it comes to resources and information for those two, with Thor ultimately being a dead end, Liara is the only other option I can think of in order to properly to do this on the down low, otherwise we would have to ask them directly, and between the both of us, we got nowhere at all.”  

“It Doesn’t seem like we have much of a choice.” Bucky concluded propping himself off the tree and to his friend's side.  

“Agreed.” Steve spoke to him.  

“I hope your right about this, trusting her is a bold move. If we turn out to be wrong, we may end up with more than a deadly tainted device to deal with.”  

“Then let’s pray to god that I’m right about this.”  

XX 

 After arriving back at the tower base, Steve and Bucky, after inspecting each floor for any damage, made their way to the lower quarter floors, where Liara, along with a lot of the team resided. The duo made their way down the empty hallway, making sure to check their backs and all corners, in case they saw any sign of the two people they were trying  desperately to avoid.  

“Have you been to her room before?” Bucky asked Steve as he looked behind him for signs of movement.  

“No, what reason would I have to go to her room Bucky?” Steve asked him.  

“I don’t know, mission debriefs, comparing notes. You do that type of stuff all day.” Bucky noted, earning a small eye roll from Steve.   

“I think this is it.” Steve called out reaching the last door on the corridor. 

When they reached the room that rested in the right corner of the wall, they noticed the door was oddly far from the rest of the living quarters, there was easily a whole rooms space between her room, and quarters next to hers.  

“Why is her room so far from everyone else's?” Bucky asked looking between doors.  

“Fury said something about her extreme sensitivity to sound. If she is next to anyone’s room she would be able to hear anything and everything going on.” Steve explained. “There is no room next to, above or below hers, and for extra precaution, Fury had the room made entirely sound proof, no sound goes in, no sound goes out.”   

“Jesus, why does she get all these upgrades.” Bucky spoke, more like a complaint than a question. He was about to speak again, when the door suddnely slid open, revealing the very person they were looking for. Her arms were propped up on either side of the door, the tip of her left foot laid into the ground, pressing her knee forward slightly. 

“It’s called being the favorite, cripple, though I imagine you would not understand that since the only person who associates with you is a deprived virgin with inflated muscles.” She spoke, looking at Bucky with a scowl. She turned to the captain, giving him a once over before looking back to Bucky. “Sorry for your loss.”  

“Liara, it is good to see you.“ Steve spoke, his voice kind and welcoming.  

“Of course it is, have you met me?” She asked him, her smile showing her signature dimple imprinted in her cheek. “Now, as many times as I have fantasized about being ravaged by two strong army men, this was absolutely not what I had in mind.....I imagined....Eh, more of a  _mix_ between you both, I’d have Bucky’s arm, which is soooo useful id imagine, and Steve’s lower half, that’s the only thing attractive on you, full offense.” She winked, looking between the men.  

“We have something we need to discuss with you.” Steve spoke again, remaining civil and proper.  

“You, the cripple, basically all the single men in the tower, they all have something to talk about. Sorry, my services do not reach that far boys, despite my dirty mouth, I am quite loyal.”  

“That is not it at all ma’m!” Steve spoke clearly getting flustered.  

“Daww look, he is getting all red, little tomato Steve.” She laughed.  

“We are here to talk about Alana and Phe.” Bucky interrupted, trying to get straight to the point.  

“Ahh, I see.” She nodded staring at bucky as he her sarcastic grin not faultering. “You slow  ** _Pendejo’s_** _f_ inally caught on that the angels are having trouble in paradise, and you wanna know what’s up right? Right. I know I'm right. Go ahead, say I’m right.”  

“So, you do know what’s going on?” Steve asked, his tone hopeful.  

“Uh, I may or may not have information that pertains to this situation, it comes with being as amazing as I am.” She spoke. “Now, since you guys are playing spies like the two-year old’s that you are, I’ll _allow you_  to come in just this once, can’t have the people I actually find attractive thinking you’re my type.”   

She allowed her arms to slide down the door as she pushed her body to the side allowing them entry. The two men exchanged looks, before stepping in, letting the door slide closed behind him.  

 


End file.
